Descendants of Avalon
by Singingfrogs
Summary: Something is coming. Bodies of young woman were being uncovered and Riley Thompson, a London Doctor, stands at the centre of it all. There is a new, undiscovered mystery buried deep within her mind, granting her the knowledge to stop this but going home means facing her past; and going home means facing her pack, facing a supernatural psychopath and facing the man she loves...
1. Prologue

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

Time seemed lost on the forest. The bright light from the sky had all but diminished with the moonlight twinkling vaguely beneath the dense cloud cover. The mist that hung on the ground of the woodland prevented the moonbeams to illuminate the tracks that had been created earlier that evening.

Only a minute before, the eyes of a female wolf were able to detect the light. Tracking and searching for any signs of the prey she was searching for, her sensitive eyesight picking up the bent twigs or misplaced leaves as she continued to locate her prey.

She placed her paws judiciously to the soggy ground, lifting her dirtied russet paw from the squelching mud as she repositioned and angled her slender figure over the fallen tree that was resting in her way. She leapt over the trunk and landed elegantly on the other side. Her mind was ignoring the silhouettes of branches that seemed to reach towards her with emaciated arms and protuberances as she clambered deeper into the opaque forest.

The foreboding air was biting at her being; the temperature having dropped dramatically causing the wolf to shudder her fur, the thick course hair insulating her svelte form. There were no sounds of chirping insects, no sounds of falling leaves, just the wheeling of the wind against the tree branches and the continuous thumping of the wolf's paws on the wooden floor. She was conscious about how she had not identified any other animals. She knew of the creatures that would prove hard to take down on her own.

Muntjac and Fallow Deer were the largest animals that dominated this forest and were but a few of the individuals that she had focused her hunts. Her eyes continuously scanning for typically large figures that sauntered in the darkness, her ears twizzling on the top of her head as she listened for anything that could be stalking her.

The wolf removed herself from her troublesome thoughts and dropped her muzzle to the ground, ignoring the feeling of someone's eyes staring at her back as she took in the tracks that were unmistakably made by the creature she was hunting. The wolf sat back on her hunches, lifted her nose to the air and let out a large howl; the call reverberated up her figure, over her ears and vibrated through the forest as she called the wolves she was travelling with.

However, the animal did not wait for her companions; she continued with her journey, her nose pressed to the ground as her eyes recognized the tracks as well as the distinctive scent that was all too familiar to the wolf.

She was pulled from her tracking when she sensed the arrival of another wolf. The stockier and taller male wolf nuzzled closely to her side, a question shinning deeply within his wolfish eyes; the female simply lifted her muzzle, testing the air for a scent as she unconsciously answered his question. The golden wolf rubbed his snout underneath the females, his tinted brown fur etched to his back, ears and belly helped with his camouflage while his companion was unidentifiable to the naked eye.

As the male recognized the scent of their prey, he stood to attention, pointing his eyes and ears towards his target, noting how they were downwind. It seemed during their brief communication that the other wolf the female had called arrived, standing a little way behind them, recognizing the stiffness of his leader and visitor, mentally preparing himself for a chase.

The female twisted her neck, pointing her eyes to observe her companions and with a few yips and a growl commanded her confidants to conceal themselves within the undergrowth and prepare to stalk forward.

She and her male friend haunted forward, their paws placed delicately on the muddy ground as their belly brushed against the undergrowth, eyes fixed intently on the clearing that held their target. The wolves had fanned out; each member of the small pack tracking through the forest, their mind focused purely on the job at hand. The execution of the beast.

She forced her mind to focus, disregarding the thunderous wind of the approaching wintery storm, her ears swiveling from their position as she continued to localize the sound of footsteps. She quickened her pace, her tail flicking against her companion as she moved further into the forest, closer to the clearing as if she detailed to him just how close they were to their quarry.

She stopped mid step, her paw hovering in mid-air as her eyes fell on the figure that was standing in the moonlight of the clearing, noting how the other wolf she hunted with was lying with his jaw pressed to the ground and holding his allocated positions. How she wished her Pack could be hunting with her.

The female glared at the creature in front of her. The dragon horns rose and curled in the air and the large grotesque hands that had been disfigured into talons; the beastial claws were sputtered and crocked in sharp angles. The large, bat like wings tucked away as if broken. The wolf couldn't help but let the fur on her back shudder as if remembering a dark memory that she shared with this creature.

The two wolves shared another uneasy glance, the female obviously displaying a plan of attack as she sat back with her forepaws supporting her torso before she raised her neck, her ears pressed firmly to the back of her head and emitted another loud howl that remained constant and smooth; she emanated a sound similar to that of a cry from the horned owl.

Her howl seemed to bite into the very energy of the forest. The rustling of the leaves thundered to the ears of her wolf companions. The ground vibrated with the powerful call from the Pack wolf. The forest seemed to bend to her will, the fog rising from the air, encasing the wolf and keeping her from view. The movement of the leaves and the undergrowth covered the sounds of the wolves' movements as they answered to their colleague's orders and moved closer to their target.

She could see the monster standing directly in front of her. It's nostrils flared, sensing the air in ways much like the wolves, the piercing black eyes searching the darkness; its hearing was of little use due to the rumbling of the approaching weather. The wolf was able to give more barks and wines, howling orders, unafraid of the consequences as she responded to her male companion's narrow eyes with a growl.

She placed one paw in front of the other, her back paws landing in the prints created by her front paws as she strolled slowly into the clearing, making sure to swirl her tail in the males face as she moved forward, symbolizing to them of her plan.

Her hackles were raised as she moved, her tail swaying high in the air and her lips rising to exhibit her teeth as she moved. Her prey unconsciously took a few steps back, afraid of the impending attack as she took in the revenge that shone darkly within the wolf's eyes, a growl rumbling from within her chest as she continued forward with confident and well-placed steps.

The male wolf watched the face off noticing the gallantry of the creature that had remained hidden from view for the majority of their hunt. He yowled his own orders, preparing the two of them to drop to their stomachs, awaiting the signal to bolt. The female wolf gained on her prey, understanding the barks of her friend, knowing that her target was frantically searching for the location of the concealed wolves.

She was so preoccupied with the barking of her family she was unable to identify the very obvious signs that her target was about to bolt. Before she could even growl out of frustration her feet propelled her forward as she tore after the figure she had just come face to face with. Her male friend howled his orders; vibrations created by two other wolves feet lifted to her ears as she tore through the large tree trunks and the surrounding foliage of the forest.

She knew this was the most critical stage of her hunt. She may never catch up with her prey, even running at her top speed could become a problem due to the twisting roots that littered the ground and she did not want to become lame. However, she had the stamina that most animals did not possess; maybe she could run her prey to exhaustion. These thoughts could be very little use to her; this creature had large strong wings and easily had the chance to take off, to fly from their chase. But the wolf knew why he was running. The canopy of trees was thick and un-impenetrable, the creature was waiting for a clearing, a clearing she hoped would never come.

She could feel the mud oozing between her pads as she struggled to gain the traction she needed to keep running. She slipped and stumbled causing the beast to laugh which only resulted in the wolf's own anger to rise through her body, encouraging the wolf onwards that called upon the strength in her muscles, allowing her speed to increase as the forest moved passed her in a blur.

The pounding of the wolves feet against the ground moved over her body, the rumbling vibrations shoved to her ears as she felt the branches of neighboring bushes and trees snag at her dense fur, the leaves dropping the dew on to her coat as she tore after the figure that had suddenly grown very close to her running figure.

She was so focused and wrapped up in her hunt that she was unable to distinguish the rapid blur of motion that seemed to be trailing the creature. The pathway that they were suddenly running on was placed deep within the cover of the trees that loomed over them, encasing the group of wolves but also providing substantial problems for whatever it was they were chasing to navigate through the twists and turns of the tree trunks.

But suddenly, as the wolf looked ahead of her, recognition flooded into her eyes as she acknowledged her location. She knew she needed to slow down otherwise the speed that was carrying her would cause her to go barreling over the mountainside.

She shoved her paws to the muddy ground, scrambling for a footing, as her paws seemed to fall from underneath her. She skidded for a few meters, her paws entangling and tripping her over which caused her rather ungraceful and embarrassing attempt to stop herself from tumbling; a grunt was released from her mouth when her jaw landed rather painfully to the ground.

As she slowly lifted her paws, heaving herself back onto her feet she could hear the growling and aggressive barks of the wolves behind her. She felt one of them brushing against her thick course hairs, his eyes shining brightly in the moonlight as the three of them stood at the cusp of the hill, their eyes taking in the trees and the flying figure of their quarry.


	2. Chapter One

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

The soundtrack of St Bartholomew's was occupied with the contented mumbles of doctors conversing with other professionals or patients screaming for nurse attention. The intricate rifts of bleeping machines or the hums of medical technology caused a constant disquiet within the hospital. A young woman however was neglecting her hearing as she dawdled down the long corridor; her attention solely focused on the McMuffin that she was quickly devouring. She smiled towards one of the Doctors who nodded his head in acknowledgement, his eyes hard with authority as he studied her with animus indifference. He simply turned back towards the woman who eyed her viperously, whispering in hushed tones which sparked a queasy insecurity to the base of her stomach.

Nevertheless Sophie, one of her close colleagues skipped into step next to her; a smile pressed to her features as she looked to the young woman who mentally recognized her friend's daily routine before the track of the hospital lifted with the sound of the perfectly even voice of Sophie. She couldn't help but smile as she listened to her friend enthuse over trivial anonymous tasks; her level of excitement was faultless, her energy focused on her work as she had become an impeccably skilled physician over the last few years.

The young Doctor continued to smile into her beverage; the two of them sweeping down the long corridor as they altered their location and took a sharp left into an adjourning corridor. The young woman twisted, reaching into her canvas bag for the orange juice bottle she had purchased less than an hour ago while placing her rubbish into her bag.

She moved her eyes towards Sophie, momentarily blinded by a handsome man who flashed her a brief smile on his way pass the two of them. Her heart palpitated within her chest as her mind drifted to a close friend overseas. She knew her pack understood her reasons for staying in England to work and hunt; her family still tormented over concerns of her safety as she consulted with mutts, vampires and other conniving supernatural individuals. It seemed the packs 'bodyguard' Clayton was the only confident one to demand she think about the trouble she could get into. She heeded his words, understood the wisdom behind his arguments, but she was the closest she had ever been when it came to locating and identifying the creature that has haunted her past.

How could they suspect her inability to protect herself? She had survived years on her own, learning to control her changes and discovering remarkable methods in how to use her small size against her larger opponents. Besides, she wasn't totally alone; the two werewolves that governed the grand total of three mutts in England aided in her longevity and provided a small ounce of protection, even if she held her own far better than the boys could. In her mind she had plenty of protection.

She knew the peace between the pack and their wild counterparts was uneasy, and plenty of mutts seemed to disrupt this peace by conducting inappropriate assassinations of innocents. However, being one of only two female werewolves meant mutts and male werewolves tended to be drawn to her, her overwhelming scent of a 'bitch in heat' tended to be too much for mutts, causing them to loose control of their urges. Many times she had been unfortunate enough to face a un-pack wolf that could not control his impulses. It was one of those things she could not help but inwardly joke about.

However, the young Doctor was still unsure about her commitment to the Pack and her life at Stonehaven; this left her feeling lost and indecisive as her mind was packed with conflicted thoughts and ideas about how her life would differ if she became a mutt. The last year had not solved her heartache about the strained relationships she had left damaged between the occupants of her Pack, making her feel far more segregated from the people she classed as her family.

Nevertheless, the werewolf was driven from her conflicting thoughts when she felt a small hand pressed to the back of her shoulder. She snapped her head towards the offending appendage before lifting her eyes; she immediately recognized the form of Sophie's curious expression.

"Riley? Are you even listening to me?" Sophie questioned, her eyes sparkling with emotion as she abruptly pulled Riley from her reprieve.

"I'm sorry?" Riley asked, an embarrassed smile on her lips as her friend repeated her question.

"Why is it whenever I see you, you're eating?"

"What can I say, I'm a growing girl." Riley said with a smile, rejoicing in the sound of Sophie's humorous snort.

"You're thirty-four."

"Good point." Riley replied but frowned when she noticed a look of unease shining in Sophie's eyes as they walked into the Staff area.

Riley couldn't stop her heart from reacting to the conflicted emotions that kept flittering over Sophie's features. The normally well composed and enthusiastic woman held nothing but melancholy and discomfort deep within her heart stopping brown eyes as she looked down towards her phone.

"What is it?" Riley asked with concern. "Sophie" Riley voiced in a warning tone, eyes hard with worry as her friend continued to gaze down at her mobile.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to worry you." Sophie defended, trying to make Riley understand how repentant she was for interrupting their conversation by her text message. Riley simply smiled gently at her, detailing to her with her eyes that she needn't apologies for something she deemed important.

"Something is obviously bothering you." Riley started as she calmly folded her arms across her chest as she smiled a small smile towards Sophie. "Not much is able to upset you. Come on, what is it? You can tell me." She finished, her eyes narrowing as she observed her close friend. The older woman seemed to relax a little more at Riley's statement, knowing that she did not care for the intrusion; obviously looking at her friend's expression and her own worry for her was overruling any other emotion she maybe feeling.

"Do you remember Howard?"

"He's your cancer patient right? Been with him since he was diagnosed the first time."

"Well, I gave his wife my mobile number. I know it's against regulations and deemed as inappropriate conduct but there was just something about his family. They're the main reason why I rush off to the other side of London at a moment's notice." Sophie stammered, trailing from topic as she struggled to organize the frantic ideals that were swimming around her mind. Riley just raised her eyebrows, trying to keep up with the conversation as she listened to Sophie.

"Where's this going Sophie?" Riley questioned as she abruptly pulled her from her thoughts and back to reality.

"Right." She started as she brought in a lungful of air to compose herself before she looked down towards the ground and towards her friend who was pulling on her pristine white lab coat. "I went to visit Howard at the weekend like we had arranged but when I got there the house was in complete darkness and the washing up from a few days ago was still in the sink. Now it's not like him and his family to just disappear without informing me first if they were to be out of town. He's not really well enough to travel." She explained as she ran a frantic hand through her hair.

"How long do you think they could have been missing?" Riley voiced, her concern etched into the deep layers of her voice as she pulled her shoulder length russet hair into a bun.

"No longer than five days ago."

"And that was the last time you saw them?"

"That's right. I had gone over to check him over. They were both acting like they normally did which is why I'm concerned about them."

"And you're sure they weren't acting peculiar?"

"Absolutely."

"No suspicious phone calls or distracted statements?"

"Well, Howard has always been obsessed with anything magically out of the ordinary."

"Magically?"

"He was a superstitious man, collecting things about UFO's and believed in the prospects of vampires and werewolves. I guess he must have found something to support a theory about witchcraft."

"You don't really believe in stuff like that do you?"

"Hell no. I mean I'm a scientist." Sophie scoffed, immediately comforting Riley as her mind frantically tried to relax considering what she was. Riley rested a hand on her hip as she looked down at the ground, absentmindedly playing with the bottom of her lip before she raised her attention back to Sophie.

"Maybe you should get in touch with the police."

"You know I can't do that. Not with this breech in protocol."

"You could always bend the truth; say he missed an appointment or something."

"How you think of these things so easily astounds me. You could get into trouble you know that right."

"Meh, I watch my back." Riley said with a smile before resting her hand on Sophie's shoulder. "If you are really that worried, I'm always here to help come up with a solution." Riley finished before wrapping her stethoscope around her neck and headed towards her patients.

0-0-0

The trees that dominated the patient's garden were blowing dangerously in the wind, the leaves rattling thunderously as the plants, shrubs and flowers swung. She knew the birds would have hidden within the maze of tree branches covering their partner as they prepared to locate food while other larger mammals retreated to the safety of their underground burrows. Even in the dense streets of the city the wildlife seemed to thrive.

It was at that moment that Riley wished she could forget everything that was happening with her hunting, shift into her wolf form and hide from the rest of the world. It was times like these when she wished she could be like any other human being; a person that stressed over monotonous troubles and not having to worry about when the next situation would wreak havoc with their lives or feeling the anxiety of whether your pack would remain unharmed.

The young Doctor removed herself from her reprieve as she continued to walk further down the familiar corridor that held one of her more important patients. She could see nurses were empty bins or cleaning equipment, she could see ward managers bossing their staff to hurry in their duties and sisters eager to please their managers.

However, Riley moved a smile onto her lips as she took in the bewildered expression of the ward manager. It seemed the stern older woman wasn't expecting the young Doctor to walk onto her ward, but as Riley continued to move along the rows of beds and towards one of the side rooms she simply ignored their expressions.

She lugged at the door handle and lowered her speed as she slowly and calmly heaved her figure through the door before coming to a stop; covered by the sheets of the bed was Jeffery, an older man with white bolding hair and shining emerald eyes. He was also an aged Shaman.

She couldn't help but smile to herself when she noticed his peaceful slumbering, taking in the wrinkles of his forehead, symbolizing to her of his communication with his spirit guide; Riley failing to notice the straggling branches of the tree clanking against the glass of the hospital room window. The young Doctor headed towards the end of his bed, taking in the recorded observations on his medical chart before moving towards the chair that was positioned at his bedside.

Riley wasn't surprised to see Jeffery looking at her; his dark brown orbs voided of all humor and energy as he gazed towards her. The Doctor just gave him a weak smile as she repositioned her posture, sitting to the edge of her chair as she comfortingly took his hand.

"Hey Jeff." Riley mused. "How you feeling today?" The Doctor finished as her patient slowly came to life, his own smile moving to his lips as he took in Riley's long hair tied back and her grey eyes shining with companionship.

"A little better. But still feeling under the weather." He mumbled resting his hands to the side of his hips as he slowly dragged himself into a seated position with Riley's help, his Doctor remaining vigilantly at his side as she made sure he was comfortable.

"Not surprising considering the seriousness of your operation." Riley smiled before she ducked her head to remove her stethoscope and motioned for her elder to lift his shirt. He complied and barely flinched when he felt Riley's warm hands pressed to his shoulder and the cold bud of her stethoscope that covered his heart. They were silent for a little while, Riley giving orders of when to breath in and out properly as she listened to his heart and lungs, the pair of them knowing that she did not need her equipment. But, with the ward sister observing the young Doctor and her patient, Riley knew she needed to keep up with appearances.

"You're heart murmur sounds much better and I can't detect any abnormalities within the contractions of your heart. I would feel a little more comfortable with you staying a few extra days so we can keep a close eye on you, making sure that the operation was a success before we send you home."

"Anything you say Doc." Jeff replied with a smile as he clasped his hands together around his waist. Riley glanced over her shoulder, noticing how they were on their own and took a seat, Jeff never moving his eyes from her as the young Doctor turned to talk to him.

"Is Kera not helping? I thought Shaman's we're natural healers."

"They are when it comes to others. But we do not revel in our own healing properties. But Kera is indeed with me, guiding me and helping me. She's remarkable company." Jeff said with a smile. "And your conversations about your world are remarkably fascinating. Surely you must have known there were other races out there."

"I suspected, I knew about Sorcerers and I guess that means I believed in witches too, but Demons and Vampires? I guess the situation that my pack was involved in three months ago only confirmed my theory."

"You're right; I just wish your arrival into the Supernatural world did not have to involve the kidnapping of one of your own. We're not all like that you know."

"It wasn't even the Supernatural races' fault. It was the human race. And they think werewolves and vampires are predatory."

"They do pose some significant problems at times."

"And they wonder why we try to remain hidden." Riley mused but the pair of them were abruptly pulled from their conversation when the ward manager headed towards them, Jeffery smiling at her keen hearing and carefully moved into answering medical questions, which Riley was carefully jotting down onto the chart in front of her.

"Doctor Thompson?" The sister questioned, her eyes narrowing as she observed the two of them, trying to find any abnormalities in the meeting. Riley knew she would find none. "It's ten past five; it's time for Mr Walker's medication.

"Of course." Riley smiled before turning towards Jeffery who was flashing her a knowing smile. "I'll see you on Monday Mr Walker. Have a good weekend." She stated, saying her goodbyes before heading through the doorway and towards the staff room of Bart's Hospital.

0-0-0

Riley felt the concrete steps of her front porch underneath her converse as she used her hand to tug at her keys and place the correct one into the lock. Clayton and Jeremy had shipped to her many different magazines and newspapers clippings of apartments or flats over the years, highlighting the world-class security systems and guards. Why they felt the need to see her move from an apartment she loved, with a fairly decent alarm system, she didn't know. Well, thinking about it, deep down she understood why; they worried about her and considering she lived in the busy city, they all knew that London was far from the safest city in the world.

But she didn't care for materialistic things. She didn't care if her apartment was by a train line or under the paths of planes; she was just lucky that she had found this place when she did. She really didn't care that the apartment was a simple, elegant little place that was ideal for a single inhabitant or a couple. She liked the quaint little building due to its personality. The pristine white walls and open floor plan housed bright beech wood panels that travelled to the base of the wall; the main wall a large window that overlooked a beautifully kept garden terrace. The place was ideal, for it was only five minutes from Liverpool Street and the building backed onto a wooded park.

She heard the lock of her front door clicking open that allowed her to push the door inwards as she entered into the cool, air-conditioned residence. The rooms were growing dark, shining with elegant pinks and oranges as the sun was descending into the west. A bright warm glow was vibrating over the furniture and the floors of the living room that was directly in front of her while the cream walls of the open kitchen and living area shone under the bright rays of the sun.

Riley set her alarm, moved her body over the few steps and turned to the left as she placed her keys and bag onto the wooden table that was placed in front of her kitchen and next to her sofa. She unclipped the large buttons of her coat and shrugged the jacket from her form and draped it over the back of her dining room chair. It was in that moment that the doorbell rang. Riley swept her long sleeves to the crook of her elbow, a deep frown pulling at her eyebrows as she timidly headed towards the door, uncertainty shining in her eyes as she tried to think of anyone who would come to visit her after a long day at the hospital. She peeked through her peephole and immediately relaxed as she recognized the bubbly persona of Sophie.

"Sophie? What are you doing here?" Riley exclaimed, taking in Sophie's immaculate brunette curls and sparkling brown eyes as she lifted what it was she was holding in her hand.

"I come baring Fish and Chips and some gloriously tasty cocktails." Sophie enthused as she pushed passed her friend and over towards the small modern kitchen that was tucked to the corner of Riley's apartment, helping herself to cutlery and plates that were neatly tucked to the wall cupboards or cabinets. "I didn't really fancy going back to my empty flat considering Ryan is out of town. How you do it every day I don't know. You must get so lonely."

"Shame I don't have a brother then isn't it." Riley said with a smile as she tried to judge Sophie's methods when it came to preparing their food and tried to gage her next move. It didn't work and she just ended up getting in the way. She wasn't surprised when Sophie banished her from her own kitchen and politely ordered her to make the cocktails. Riley happily obliged by falling into one of her dining chair, knowing her back was facing her comfortable sofa that was calling her. She tried to hide the growling of her stomach as her best friend placed her heaped plate in front of her and encouraged her to dig in.

"Have you ever considered getting a roommate? You have that spare bedroom after all." Sophie asked as she shoveled a chip into her mouth.

"I thought about it, but then when my friends from America come over to visit I wouldn't be able to sleep them all." Riley replied coolly as she dug into the large battered fish that was engulfing one side of her plate, her eyes focused intently on her food compared to Sophie who was curiously staring at her.

"Talking about your friends from America, how's that guy who surprised you a few months ago?"

"A few months ago?" Riley trailed, her eyes clouded with confusion until understanding washed into her eyes.

"Yeah, you know the guy who phones and texts you." Sophie stated again with a knowing smile, now moving her eyes away from her friend who had stopped eating to train her attention purely too her.

"You mean Nicholas?"

"That's it."

"He surprised me six months ago." Riley scoffed, bewildered by her ability to remember Nick's untimely visit half a year ago.

"Oh come on, how could you forget a good looking guy turning up on your doorstep with no invitation, but holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers and telling you he missed you."

"Trust me, that's just the kind of guy Nick is."

"Wish I had that kind of guy in my life."

"You want a laid back, philandering Casanova?"

"Well you do!" Sophie jeered with a knowing smile, guzzling with laughter as she took in Riley's wild blushing expression.

"I do not!"

"You can deny it all you like my dear Riley, but when you can admit to that without blushing I will start to believe you."

"I don't." Riley warned; Sophie simply smiled.

"What did you do when he came to visit?"

"Touristy things."

"What kind of things."

"You know, the London eye, the aquarium, a show. Touristy things." Riley retorted.

"And before and after the show?"

"Dinner and then a walk down by the Thames."

"You mean a fancy expensive dinner which he paid for before you took a moonlit stroll by the river."

"No, that's what you think happened when actually it happened in a mere friendly way."

"Sure it did." Sophie hummed knowingly before chuckling when she watched Riley helping herself to another pile of chips.

0-0-0

Riley hated to admit it, but deep down she knew Sophie was right. She knew her ability to keep her emotions hidden was becoming more like a chore than her natural callous way of remaining indifferent. When Nick was involved her mind was fogged with various thoughts and sensations. The careless enthrallment from human customers in the Victorian bar down the street and the capricious contemplations of nurses and doctors whom have gotten in contact concerning one of her patients were becoming more infuriating; irritation washed onto her features as his usual professional manner of dealing with nurses and self-assured doctors was not helping to keep her frustrations under control as she lay within the confines of her medium-sized bedroom.

She knew she had fallen for the forty-three year old werewolf; it wasn't just because of is build. His eyes, his skin, his immaculate brown hair. Sure those things help and it wasn't even his annoying ability to charm her, no deep down Nicky was just one of the most lovely people she had come to know, it's just a shame he couldn't see this, or anyone else for that matter.

But how could she know if both her and Nick were uncomfortable with an affiliation that may see them into something more than Pack siblings. Clayton and Elena made it work, baring the years of ferocious fights and banishment. Riley knew that both Nick and herself were very different compared to the Pack's golden couple. Nevertheless, with Sophie verbally declaring Riley's deeply buried emotions and pronouncing obvious signs of affection the young werewolf had no idea whether she would come to terms with her feelings.

However, as she thought back to the time she had spent with Nick, she remembered the small touches, the gentleness of his voice and the sheer wanting to please her. When she had spent time with him and his father over at their property in New York, Nick had never displayed these subtle behaviors to the woman he was seducing into bed as a one-time affair. Could she just been reading into this too much or was Nick indirectly trying to display to her his own affections. These conflicting emotions had her heart thundering in her chest, her stomach churning with anxiety and her mind unable to switch off. Riley just let out the huge lungful of air, threw her pillow from the bed before turning over to her side, ignoring the late hour and tried to settle down for the night.

From what seemed only minutes after, Riley's eyes snapped open. Her breathing was shallow, her heart was aching and she had not realized her tossing and turning as she drowsily looked at the ceiling. The long netted curtains were blowing in the night wind, the pale walls lined with the elegant decoration she cherished.

However, after what only felt like a few minutes, she realized what had stirred her from her dreams. The ringing of her mobile, the object clattering to the tabletop as the strong vibrate caused the phone to shudder to life. She frowned as she struggled to detangle herself from the thick duvet that covered her form as she rolled her body to the other side of the bed and reached towards her nightstand.

"Doctor Thompson." Riley managed to say, her voice hoarse with exhaustion as she rolled back onto her back, eyes firmly closed in enervation as she rested her palm to her forehead as she tried to force her foggy brain to concentrate.

"Riley, I realize it must be late." A familiar even voice sounded, his baritone vibrating over the grill of her phone as Riley tried to wake.

"Jeremy?" Riley managed to stammer before taking a glance towards the digital clock next to her. "It's three o'clock in the morning. Couldn't this wait till a reasonable hour?"

"I would have called sooner, but with the time differences and everything that has occurred over here I am afraid there hasn't been much time." Jeremy voiced, giving her as much of an apology as he would ever give her.

"What's going on?" Riley expressed as she finally moved into a seat position and turned on her bedside table, the warm glow of the bulb blinding her sensitive eyes as she tried to untangle her body from the blankets.

"There's trouble brewing here in Bear Valley. I'm calling you home."


	3. Chapter Two

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

It was an unexpected turn of events, and he was beginning to marvel at the fact that so little information had been collected and formalised by the Bear Valley Police department. His life had been so good in recent months, but now, with the threat of a potential hostile situation, it was time he called upon his strength once again. He needed to savour the spectacles as they came, appreciating his loving family, his supporting friends and the beauty around him.

But, as they drove across the vacant plains of bright fields that held the intense volume of food that grew high above his shoulders, the underlying feelings of anxiety and dread was clouding his mind. The time passing slowly as they twisted and turned with the curves of the road, driving between two vast ancient forests of New York, the pair of them moving from the bustling atmosphere of the city and towards the overbearing country town of Bear Valley. This was his world; where so many people lived their lives without fully living them, people struggling with daily scraps of life, going about nonsensical business not fully understanding just how complicated other lives could be.

From his enhanced eyesight he could see the steeping rocks of the mountain range that towered over their destined valley, noticing how his father Antonio turned onto their needed road. His eyes were searching for any abnormal activities, as he knew of the perils that seemed to be looming over the home of his Pack. Wild werewolves known as Mutts, peaceful or perilous, could become very dangerous if they grouped together or singled out any individual member of his pack. It seemed the Pack had learnt that out the hard way considering Daniel Santos and a group of his mutts had provided an intense volume of trouble to his family a few years ago.

The young man glanced towards his father; the older gentleman was in his fifties, but physically he could easily pass for half that age. He was shorter and stockier than his son, but his broad shoulders and bulging biceps were nearly doubled when compared to the younger man in his company. He felt the vehicle beginning the steep incline of the mountain range, allowing the two men who were comfortably seated within their Mercedes to undertake the next leg of their journey.

"We should arrive at Stonehaven around lunchtime Nick." Antonio voiced, his grip on the steering wheel tightened as the tires slipped and skidded on the asphalt road. Nick gave his father a brief smile and a nod before pulling out his iPhone from his jeans pocket and composed a message to Elena, one of the inhabitants of Stonehaven. His father simply decreased the volume of their CD and continued to guide his vehicle through the traitorous terrain of the mountain range.

The sun progressed higher into the sky before Antonio pressed his foot to the break pedal, feeling the tires of the car spinning out from underneath them as they skidded on the rubble of the alley road. Nick could see the sun peeking out from behind the large cliff faces that encased the chasm that held their home and destination.

After an hour, the two of them had emerged through the valley that was accessed by the steep, slippery zigzagged path. He could feel the air becoming warmer as they descended, the glorious smells of pine tree and luscious conifers relaxed the wolf within him as he prepared himself for returning home; he could only smile to himself when the familiar sights of the looming pines gave way to large beech and oak trees. The younger man noticing the freshly fallen snow that had been the product of last night's snowstorm.

His sensitive hearing heard the thundering of a storm over the peaks of the mountains, the valley escaping the onslaught of the upcoming weather. The sunlight glinted and refracted against the windows of the quaint neglected buildings of the town below them, inconsistent trains moving with the landscape as the fast travelling transport prowled through the surroundings dense forests.

Antonio brought them to a comfortable road that led to the edge of the valley. Nick could see a river flowing to the edge of the town, the water rolling quickly and noisily, as mountain-streams do on a sunny morning. Nick recognised the narrow road, so narrow only a single car could navigate, allowing oncoming traffic to slow so others could overtake and continue on their journey. It seemed the gritters of the town had excelled in their job due to the clear roads. Nick could only smile fondly at the snow free road, taking in the large mounds of white, which was a product of the heavy trucks that had forced the dangerous snow to the sides of the roads to keep them clear.

The streets of Bear Valley swept passed the windows as Nick continued to look through the glass, observing the bustling streets of gossiping villagers, people selling their dishevelled wares as if they were brand new or people struggling to make ends meet as they worked more hours than legally required.

But, as the extravagant Mercedes moved from the valley and into the woods, Nick recognised the twisted driveway of Stonehaven. The large trees of the properties forests were looming over the vehicle as the engine purred and roared with power. As they moved through the overstated entrance archway Nick's eyes sparkled with familiarity as he shared a smile with his father as he observed the enticing eighteenth-century building that was nestled in the centre of the attractive property.

"Home sweet home." Nick breathed, delighting in the rustic elegance and ancient Victorian coloured stone walls. The wide planked pathway that paved the long gated celebrity stone driveway gently climbed and twisted the hillside to make a hair-pin turn before terminating in a large motor court parking area. It seemed the inhabitants of Stonehaven had been able to do very little concerning the dense layer of snow that dominated their driveway, causing Antonio to frown with concentration as he navigated the driveway from memory.

Antonio brought them to a slow stop not failing to recognise the crunching of the snow underfoot. Nick moved his eyes towards his father, finally noticing the dark purples under his eyes. It seemed the long journey from the Catkins and the difficult terrain of the mountain pass had exhausted Tonio. Antonio lifted his hands to his eyes, rubbing away his tiredness before each of them evacuated the vehicle.

The young man leant down to adjust his jeans, small yawns falling from mouth as he stretched and clinked out his unused muscles of his legs, arms and back. He noticed his father was moving to the front of the car, allowing Nick time to reach into the back of the vehicle, wrapping his hands around the straps of their bags, making sure not to catch the canvas on the latches of the car door before he turned away from the car, lifting his leg to shove the door closed and feeling the misting of his breath around him.

Nick continued to readjust his clothing, pulling at the sleeves of his expensive blazer and coat after he had placed his cases to the stone driveway. He adjusted the knot of his scarf, revelling in the warm material against his olive skin as the chill of the January air was biting at his form. However, he felt his father's large palm pressing to his son's back pulling Nick's attention from his grooming causing his eyes to move to his elder.

"My friend." A voice sounded which caused the young man to snap his head in the direction of the impressive building that was dominated with circulating plants of ivy. The young America continued to run his hand through his styled brown hair so he could get a better look at his childhood friend. Clayton or Clay was one of those detestable people blessed with both genius-level intelligence and drop-dead gorgeous looks. Blue eyes, dark blonde curls, and a rugged face straight out of a magazine. Match that with a powerful body and you have a package that wouldn't go unnoticed in the middle of a Chippendale's convention.

"Clayton." Nick replied, a large smile engulfing his full-domed shaped lips as Clay lifted his own arms and wrapped them around his friend, each of them embracing together as they greeted each other after a long period of separation.

"We're glad you're home, Jeremy has had very little rest the last couple of days."

"Dad phoned ahead earlier trying to get some information into what we might be facing. Jeremy just made excuses. Are we in the shit again?" Nick asked. Clayton simply nodded his head before turning away from him, inviting to follow him as Nick headed towards Elena, Clay's wife who was welcoming Antonio.

However, as Nick followed his childhood friend, he could hear their faint footsteps, the sensitive hearing of the people around him able to determine how far away they were. Nick just smiled as he observed Elena turning to face her guests, knowing their arrival would always be noticed.

Elena was just a beautiful as her husband. She was slender, tall and held the werewolves typically athletic build with snow white hair that was mid-back in length. As Nick welcomed her into his arms he lowered his chin to rest on her shoulder, Elena obviously standing about four inches shorter than her companion.

"Come on in, Jeremy was just preparing lunch." She voiced gently, her even tone allowing the two werewolves in front of her to smile before Clayton reach for Antonio's bag and guided the pair of them through the elegant doors that held the stylish Stonehaven emblem to the glass of the door.

The elegant estate was modestly sized, well-furnished and decorated. Elena directed them into the foyer. The walls a pale blue and cream complimenting the wooden panel flooring and the striking Native American animal totem that was positioned by the stairway. Nick could only smile as his eyes fell to the framed portraits on the small foyer table, taking in the smiling faces of Clayton and Elena, Nick grinning with his father while the last photo was of a young red-head, smirking towards the camera with her grey orbs twinkling with life. He was not surprised to hear the chiming of the grandfather clock striking one o'clock.

However, as Nick briefly turned his attention to the living room, he knew the décor was not exactly subtle. The room was full of natural details, including the stone of the fireplace that was blazing with fire as the heating of the house provided a welcomed relief to the biting chill of the weather outside. He could see a sculptured wooden chandelier, and a variety of animal skulls strewn on the tables. Taxidermy samples and pictures of hunting scenes were hanging on the crimson walls. It seemed, even though Jeremy had fallen from the past traditions of the Pack, he still valued their ancient history. The Chesterfield sofas, brass lamps and traditional frames only added to the character of the house.

Nick placed his expensive converses to the cold stone floor, his outwear still wrapped his limbs as he walked through the familiar corridors of his home. The man had familiarized himself with the peculiar looking artefacts that dominated the walls and every available space. He could only smile, his eyes sparkling with affection knowing that Clay's professional interest in anthropology wasn't left in the classroom and frequently came home with him.

The limited sunrays were radiating weakly through the concentrated corridors of Stonehaven, the pockets of warm air warming him as his eyes momentarily flashed to the bellowing trees of the handsome garden that dominated the back of the property.

Nick could only allow the feeling of home to envelope around his heart and his soul as the familiarity of his wolfish life relaxed his confused mind and the conflicting argument of the new devilry that had engulfed Stonehaven in unwavering darkness.

The man was so wrapped up in his thoughts he was unaware of how his body had automatically followed his friends and into the kitchen come dining room. Nick observed his father embracing his old friend Jeremy, the Pack's alpha. Jeremy holding an uncommon smile on his lips as he whispered hushed greetings to Antonio before the older gentleman brushed the black bangs from his features and headed towards Nick to welcome him home.

"You've arrived just in time." Jeremy started as he moved the final plate of food from the kitchen counter to the large wooden table. "We were just about to sit down for lunch." Jeremy smiled as he took up his usual seat at the head of the table.

Nick squinted as a sudden ray of light washed to his sensitive eyesight, noting how the white light vibrated through the large room. Kitchen cupboards hanging against the wall, a large bookcase rose from the floor right to the ceiling, holding books and trinkets.

However, as he moved further into the room, he could see the large oak table positioned directly in the middle of the room. The high beamed ceiling making the room feel more country as the ancient looking appliances and the netted curtains that hung over the windows only added to that affect.

Nick gratefully took a seat next to his father and opposite Clay who was greedily stocking his plate. The young man could only smile as he took in the array of foods; from cheeses, to four different types of meat and an immaculate array of cooked foods from bacon and sausages, to a large salad or hefty sandwiches. Nick openly helped himself to the mouth-watering foods, piling his plate high with hams, cheeses and meat.

"So what's going on? Clay said you wouldn't explain anything till we got here." Nick's father mused as he angled a large piece of ham into his mouth. Nick just fluttered his brown orbs towards his alpha, chewing on his food as he was consciously aware of the others looking towards Jeremy for guidance.

"The police have discovered a body at the edge of our property line." Jeremy stated calmly, cutting at his food as he tried to answer his family's questions.

"Sounds strangely familiar to the situation that occurred five years ago." Tonio voiced, shooting Elena a concerned look. It was no secret that it was those circumstances that had ultimately led to the feisty woman seated in front of them to finally give in and accept what she was. That she was one of only two female werewolves in the world, and she recognized what her heart was yearning for. Craving the love and attention of her mate, aching for the companionship of her pack and pining for the freedom that came with running in an estate that held over one hundred acres of woodland.

"But there was no mistaking that those kills were defiantly done by a wolf. We haven't smelt any intruding mutts." Elena responded, her wrists leaning against the edge of the table as she clung onto the handles of her cutlery.

"The victim held three very distinctive scratch marks down one side of her back. Wolves wouldn't have been able to leave marks like these." Jeremy answered knowingly.

"But then you wouldn't have called us home if these scratches weren't something to worry about." Nick expressed, his eyes shining with emotions, as his mind was unable to progress all the different ideas that were swimming around his skull. Nick knew before even saying the words why Jeremy had called them to Stonehaven; he was possibly the only one qualified enough to know of what the scratches were due to his close relationship with a woman who had gone through a similar ordeal and still held the scars to remind her of her tribulation. "They're the same as Riley's."

"They hold a remarkable resemblance, but I won't go jumping to conclusions." Jeremy chimed, missing Elena's questioning and knowing glance that she pointed in Nick's direction, the young werewolf simply turned his gaze towards her, understanding washing into their expressions. "I've never smelt this thing before; it smells very different to that of a mutt. Riley has also divulged in very little concerning her scars, I cannot fathom what she went through to survive such an attack."

"Riley is very private, there is probably a lot more of her character that we have yet to discover." Elena chimed in before she was interrupted by Antonio.

"Besides, we've not had any problems with mutts on our territory for years." Antonio quipped as he shot his son a glance, observing his blank features as he turned back towards Jeremy.

"So who or what's at the top of the shit list?" Clay voiced as he greedily plunked another stack of pancakes to his plate, Elena pulling her eyes towards Clayton who shrugged at her unspoken question. Jeremy continued eating, unable to provide his adopted son with an answer. Antonio noticed this before shovelling another sausage to his mouth.

"So, some random creature comes and kills near our territory why?"

"I think the most important thing is the kill itself. It's a message, but right now, I am uncertain as to whom for."

"If these scratches are the same there is no doubting who it's for." Nick interrupted, both his father and his alpha turned to look at him, eyes full of emotion as they understood his plight, knowing of his close relationship shared with their missing pack member.

"So what's the plan?" Elena stated, trying to swiftly change the conversation before it started.

"I've called everyone home; we deal with this as a Pack."

"All of us? Everyone comes home?" Elena cried with surprise, her usually composed expression turning into one of bewilderment as she tore at the bread within her hands as her eyes never left Jeremy's. "Even Riley?"

"I called, she answered, and she's coming." Jeremy confirmed, his eyes hard as he gazed at Elena, watching as she shrieked away from him a little.

"You mean she's coming here?" Antonio balked, unafraid to speak his mind to his old friend.

"Why is everyone surprised? She's part of the Pack, she belongs here with her family."

"It's not that Jer, it's just she's…not the best flyer, the last time we saw her was over a year ago."

"She maybe the only one who knows what we're up against as there is a possibility she has been tracking a similar creature in England. She knows that, that's why she's coming."

"And that's the only reason?" Nick questioned, his appetite having been sated as he rested his hands to the top of the table.

"I've been in contact with Riley over the last year, each time she has exhibited an interest in trying to relocate over here to the states. She doesn't have any family in England and the two wolves that oversee the mutts offer very little when it comes to providing the affections that we as a Pack provide her."

"What are you saying?" Antonio asked as he looked around the table and then back towards Jeremy.

"She's lost and very isolated over in London. She does not really have anyone she can talk to and I think she yearns for the love of a family and she wants to reconcile the friendships that she has left strained between us."

"She has nothing to worry about. She's one of us; we would never turn her away."

"I know that, but Riley is a very shy individual when it does not come to dealing with the sciences. She was on her own for a long time and we all knew it would take her a while to integrate into a family atmosphere. We just have to give her some time. Besides, her close relationship with Nick will hopefully aid us to make her see the good of Stonehaven."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Nick balked disorderly, looking to his father for aid but received only a humorous smile. The rest of his pack family smiled at him.

"You see and talk with her far more than we do." Elena smiled as she lifted her glass to her lips. "Didn't you visit her in London a little while ago?"

"Yeah, six months ago, that hardly counts as regular contact."

"It's more than we have buddy." Clay said as he tore at his bread, a mocking waggling of the eyebrows before Antonio changed the conversation for the sake of his son's pride.

"When does she get here?"

"I spoke with her this morning, her afternoon. She's trying to get some time signed off work, easier said than done I might add. But she has a flight booked for tomorrow morning meaning she should arrive here sometime tomorrow afternoon."


	4. Chapter Three

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

Many who knew her would not be surprised by her restless demeanour as soon as she entered Gatwick Airport; her close friends knew of her distress when it came to the prospect of flying. But as Riley thanked her cab driver, passing him the relevant coin of his fare, Riley tightly gripped to the handles of her carry-on, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag before nervously headed towards the main entrance of the airport.

The pristine floors and walls sparkled with purity as if the marbled floor had been scrubbed within an inch of its life, large security men patrolling their designated area while each separate flight agency had a few people manning their desks as they prepared themselves for a hectic day of travellers starting their journey. The young Doctor noticed very few people loitering at the departure billboards, no young children screaming at their parents, or wives looking up at their husbands with confusion etched onto their features as their bewilderment at their tickets engulfed them. Instead, Riley stood in the foyer, one of the only travellers inhabiting the building considering it was still very early in the morning and the children had just gone back to school after the Christmas break.

When she arrived at the Virgin Atlantic desk she patiently awaited her turn, the knots in her stomach twisting and coiling together as she anxiously tore at her fingernails, a nervous habit she wished she could break. However, she gave the attendant a breathy smile as she handed the beaming woman her passport and ticket, answering her questions with simple answers before going through the whole process of handing in her carry-on bag and marking her hand luggage before she was ready to head towards the departure gate.

As Riley looked at her watch, it had taken her under an hour to get through security, her bag was safely returned to her without problems allowing the werewolf time to move into the departures lounge. Her enhanced eyesight was able to pick up on the swarming bodies of people taking advantage of the VAT free goods, couples huddled together in a romantic embrace as they either prepared to travel to their honeymoon destination or take a romantic break. Riley just shook herself from her gazing as she joined the stream of commuting travellers and headed to the nearest coffee shop to purchase a strong cup of tea and a large bar of Toblerone. Once she had finished she located a chair, pulled out her medical journal and waited till her flight was called; trying to distract herself from the prospect of flying in two hours' time.

Nevertheless, no longer than an hour and a half later Riley was being called and she was trying her damned hardest to stop her instincts from taking over and bolting. The wolf within her was pacing, obviously the anxiety that had consumed her was making the animal uncomfortable and as she got even closer to her gate, the feeling of nausea was threating to overwhelm her. She frantically fumbled for her phone, her hands visibly shaking as she inefficiently typed a miss spelt text message to Jeremy detailing to him of her progress. She just inwardly cursed, she knew of how Jeremy would react to her text, a very small smile, smiling at her idiocy and unjustified fear of flying.

But, as she moved to her gate, the logical part of her brain, the Doctor side of her mentality knew why she was so fearful. Being part wolf meant she did not deal well in enclosed spaces, and considering she was to willingly walk into a small compartment that was to fly thousands of feet in the air and over a vast ocean she had come to think of it as a fear not as injudicious as others might think. But deep down, she knew the main reason. She had an overwhelming fear of her inability to control her emotion, emotions such as panic or claustrophobia when she was not in control or unable to escape.

Riley shakily passed over her boarding pass, trying to push passed her irritation at the gate keeper for her fake laugh and smile, her overwhelming aroma of perfume, makeup and hairspray was overbearing on her senses and Riley had to momentarily stop breathing. She just quickly grasped hold of her belongings and passport before almost running onto the plane as she tried to breathe again.

0-0-0

Antonio looked at the clock on the mantelpiece as he momentarily pulled himself from studying his intense load of emails. They had finished breakfast no more than an hour ago and Jeremy had received a text from Riley saying she was just about to board her plane; it seemed they were waiting for a phone call to say she had landed safely before hopping onto a bus that would take another three hours before arriving at Bear Valley. She was expected to arrive at about six.

The older gentleman just smiled as he took in the dishevelled appearance of his son, knowing that his mind was preoccupied enough to not warrant in the excessive grooming that he usually conducted on himself. Antonio just flung a book towards his son, watching as Nicholas snapped his head towards his father with a questioning frown on his features before Tonio motioned to the back garden and Nick readily agreed.

Nick smiled to himself when he felt the cold snow protruding between his toes once he had removed his shoes and socks; he clung onto the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head before he shrugged his expensive jeans from his hips and fell to all fours, the biting chill of the January air freezing his bare olive skin as he prepared his body for his change.

His arms and legs were replaced with well-shaped limbs and his hands now held claws and pads. Nick simply pressed his forepaws to the ground before shifting his weight onto his hind limbs. He could feel all his back clinking and re-adjusting as his body completed the change from human to wolf. He yipped to himself happily before he jumped around a little, his legs getting caught up before he trotted from his hiding space and prepared to search for the scent of his father.

He felt the wind bellowing in his almost black fur as he galloped towards the trees and started to run through the forest. He jogged to a halt when he felt the forest talking to him. He lifted his muzzle into the air in contentment as he felt the cold wind blowing through the thick winter fur he occupied. His ears were twizzling on the back of his head as he listened to the sound of a rabbit thumping nearby, upwind and oblivious to him.

He lifted one of his paws one at a time, stretching and rotating his joints. His nose and ears were now finally picking up on numerous rabbit scents, his tail wagging with excitement. Nick jogged further into the forest as he enjoyed his time alone, revelling in the few quiet moments he had when he was a wolf; it seemed his Father had given him an excuse to get out on his own, too pass some time and to collect his confusing thoughts and emotions.

Nick crouched, wiggled his hindquarters and leapt at an imaginary mouse. As he hit the ground, he wheeled around, teeth bared as he snapped at an imaginary enemy. He bounded through the forest. Jumped and twisted in mid-air as he maneuvered himself around fallen tree stumps or piles of leaves. He pranced, he lurched, and he charged and chased his trail.

However, something caught his attention. He froze, his legs snapping into a lock as he prevented himself from going any further, trying to hide as best he could. There, across the clearing was a warren or a nest of rabbits, all absentmindedly nibbling and grazing on the succulent grass of the forest, oblivious to the predator that was crouched onto his four limbs and they dug through the deep snow; his belly scrabbling against the forest floor, his muzzle skimming the ground, the earth thick with the smell of his prey.

Nick continued to stalk forward until he was in pouncing distance. He once again raised his hindquarters, his tail hitting his side as he wiggled his tail in the air. The rabbits were still unaware of his presence before Nicholas took another cautious step and leapt in the air.

He felt his forepaw land with ease on the ground, the crunching of a small body underneath his paws made him bark with excitement, the other rabbits having sprinted into the nearby burrows apart from a single rabbit that was hanging back. He yipped to himself before looping over towards the lame rabbit. When he looked down the prey was vulnerable, he brought down his muzzle and tore out the rabbit's throat, severing the carotid artery.

He placed the rabbit in his mouth, trotted back to his other kill before he lifted his head in the air. The sun was hanging to the west, estimating the time of day was about three o'clock. He seemed happy with himself before he lifted his head to the air once again, emitting a long tuneful call as he made sure to get his father's attention. No less than five minutes later, the large figure of his father's wolf form came bounding into the clearing. Nick yipped, his tongue rolling between his teeth and he gracefully threw one of the rabbits in his father's direction. Antonio gave a small bark of his own before gratefully taking his rabbit, affectionately heading to his son's side before collapsing next to him, lifting his paws over the carcass and dug into the meal that had been caught for him, revelling in the feeling of Nick's flank resting on his as the two bonded over afternoon tea.

0-0-0

Riley knew her ability to keep her emotions hidden was become more like a chore than her natural callous way of remaining indifferent; her mind was fogged with various different thoughts and sensations. The careless epitomes of human anxieties were starting to grate on her nerves as she fretfully suffered with one of her own. How she wished the wolf within her could take over, to show the human side of her double life how she had nothing to fear, but as the butterflies in her stomach turned into a swarm of hornets, she knew her wolf was struggling with her tormented emotions and claustrophobia.

However, it was not just the flying that was causing her body to fidget and nervously shove the peanuts into her mouth. She was uncomfortable with the prospects of seeing her Pack again; a year is such a long time to not see the people who are like your family, and with very few communications shared between the two of them would they be as accepting as they were fourteen years ago? She knew her transition from being a lone mutt to a pack wolf was a difficult one, with many of the pack verbally declaring their disapproval as they forced their ideals onto their Alpha, Jeremy. Each of them announcing their dysphonia about trying to tame a semi-feral animal whose only guidance had been a human mother and three human sisters. It seemed at the time, none of them baring Antonio, had liked the idea of introducing a mutt, and a female mutt into their ranks. Fourteen years ago she had been the first and only female werewolf until Elena arrived seven years ago; it seemed Riley had not recognized the gaping hole in her heart, how her heart was yearning for female companionship, a friendship she gained when Elena was bitten and survived.

But, the werewolf was getting tired of constantly trying to prove her worth to the Pack, especially Clay. She could only provide essential medications and limited surgery's so many times and as she sat in the cushioned airplane seat that was positioned directly next to the closed window she found herself pondering that tormenting question once again. Did the Pack really need her? Or was she better off on her own? She was hoping the year apart would help her to see reason but it had only caused more disturbing viewpoints and emotions to swim through her mind and body.

Nevertheless, the young werewolf Doctor was pulled from her disturbing reprieve when she noticed the flashing light blearing overhead. It seemed they were preparing to start their decent, asking their passengers to pull on their seatbelts; Riley inwardly cursed as her trembling hands made it increasingly difficult for her to line up the buckle with the clip. She let out a thankful sigh as soon as she heard the faint and welcoming click. Riley curled her hair around the shell of her ear as she fretfully tugged at the closed shutter of her aeroplane window, allowing a small slither of light to stream into the cabin and giving her a frightening image of clouds streaming passed her; the window was shut almost immediately as she felt her large lunch churning in her stomach.

Riley allowed the frown to engulf her features as she heard a chuckle from behind her. As she turned around, the man she had been seated next to the entire flight was laughing at her. As she observed him, he was probably about Nick's age though physically looked around Jeremy's. He was tall and athletic, with a deep tan and sun-streaked blonde hair that made her automatically think: California boy, even though his strong cockney accent tied him to London. It seems he was one of the lucky British men that tanned easily considering it rains for about two hundred out of the three hundred and sixty five days a year.

"Scared of flying ay?" He said with a laugh, "Then again, I do have a mate who literally hyperventilates before even boarding the plane." Riley just shook her head and let out a nervous laugh as she flicked her eyes towards her lap.

"You didn't see me in the passengers lounge." Riley breathed as she uneasily picked at the chewed fingernails of her hands, her stomach holding a swarm of butterflies as she conversed with the stranger.

"I would have spoken to you earlier, but sometimes my over excited personality can be a little overwhelming to quieter people like yourself." He beamed, curling his hands over his armrest before leaning closer towards her resulting in Riley to provide him with a reserved smile. "I take it you're a suffer in silence kind of girl."

"I'm that easy to read?" Riley questioned as she readjusted her position, her eyes flicking towards the steward who was patrolling the pathway before she allowed her eyes to fall to the man in front of her.

"Surprisingly not, but you had a momentary lapse in emotional control back there which I can only assume comes from your fear of flying." He replied with a gentle smile before looking behind him resulting in Riley gazing towards the tutting woman behind them; Riley was not surprised that this enthusiastic man went out of his way to converse with people while Riley made sure she pulled away and hid from view. "Come now Alice, tell me you haven't picked up on some of your sisters psychological garb? Not even a shred of it?" The bloke responded, causing the middle-aged woman to shove her expensive magazine to her lap as she scrutinized her companion. Riley quickly readjusted her last thought; it seemed that this man did know the woman he had been conversing with and she seemed to be the more reserved character out of the two of them.

"Why would I take an interest in something I do not find useful? Why she chose to study a degree in a pointless subject is beyond me." She huffed flashing a tight smile before briskly going back to her reading. Everything about her was tight, from her skin-hugging black ski pants to her eerily unlined face. She was about Antonio's age and Elena's height, was model thin with a waistline to envy and the self-control to maintain it. While her companion had sat drinking an endless supply of fizzy drinks she sat there sipping at mineral water garnished with a slice of lime. Riley just returned his awkward smile with one of her own as she tried to go back to her reading to no avail.

"You have to ignore her, we're on our way to an art exhibition in New York and she's not totally thrilled by it."

"I take it you're an artist then?" Riley voiced, surprised by her sudden confidence to return his statement with a question, it seemed he was only happy to hear her joining in with the conversation.

"Names Jonathan Brown and painting is my trade." He exhumed as he held out his left palm. Riley just flicked her fringe from her face before wrapping her warm fingers around his in a friendly handshake.

"Riley Thompson." She voiced. "I'm a Doctor at St Bartholomew Hospital in London." Riley inwardly flinching when she watched his jaw drop, surprised by her last statement as if he was struggling to believe the concept of her being a fully qualified physician. Once again Riley's delayed aging had become more of a hindrance considering she looked half her actual age.

"A doctor? Surely you're still in training?" he quizzed, his disbelief still evident in his tone and his expression as he observed Riley's uncomfortable squirming.

"I've been a doctor for the last six years." Riley said with a smile

"Six?" Jonathan breathed, his words failing to tumble from his lips as he once again frowned at the young woman who just smiled at him. "How old are you?" he questioned abruptly causing a small chuckle to move from Riley's mouth as Alice hit who Riley believed to be her partner.

"John, you don't just go about asking women how old they are, it's rude." Alice voiced with a malicious tone of voice, her eyes sparkling with hidden emotion as she slapped her hand to Jonathan's shoulder. However, her actions were unable to stop his balking, which made Riley feel exposed and uneasy.

"I know! But seriously look at her? You can't be any older than twenty-three." He cried as he looked between the two of them, Alice taking her own turn in staring at the werewolf doctor, her eyes taking in her 'youthful' appearance between the two seats.

"Just add another eleven years." Riley uttered as she played with the tattered corners of her medical journal

"Blimey, you're looking good."

"Thanks." Riley stated before flashing her eyes towards Alice who had returned to her magazine.

"I mean Alice looks amazing but compared to you."

"I really don't think you should be saying things like this when she's sitting right behind you." Riley countered quickly as she tried to change the subject, knowing too well just how spiteful women could turn when it came to their appearance.

"You get used to it." Alice mumbled, giving Riley her first genuine small smile that made Riley feel a little more at ease.

"So are you two married then?"

"Oh no, just dating. I mean, I'm a forty-five year old guy whose been divorced twice, made redundant half a dozen times before realizing that I was good enough to live off my earnings as a painter." He explained as he uncapped his water bottle and took a large sip.

"So this exhibition." Riley started, "Is it yours?"

"He wishes." Alice mumbled as she briefly pulled Riley's attention towards her.

"No, no it's not mine, but I'm valued enough within the artistic community to get a VIP invitation to the event." He said with a smile "But anyway, what's so important that's got you on a plane to America?" he questioned, turning in his seat as he pulled the bright blonde hair from his eyes, his brilliant cobalt orbs twinkling with interest as he unknowingly kept Riley from her tormenting mind-set.

"I've got family over here which I haven't seen for over a year. It's about time I paid them a visit."

"Surely a pretty woman like yourself must have a bloke awaiting her arrival at the airport?"

"Ha! I wish." Riley laughed as she observed Jonathan's gentle smile "The long hours at the hospital tend to deter any men."

"Maybe they don't like the idea of dating a woman who's smarter than them."

"Maybe, but as of right now it's just me."

"That's a shame." He chimed; just to be cut short when the pilots voice sounded over the radio speaker grills explaining to them of their safe arrival. One of the stewardesses smiled towards them before heading towards the front of the plane. Riley just heaved at the window shutter and sure enough the snowy wet runway was quickly falling behind them as the airport building moved in front of her. She had safely arrived in America. Once again Riley was pulled from her window when she heard Jonathan laughing; when she had turned around Alice and Jonathan were on their feet and pulling at their hand luggage. "I guess it's time we part ways." Jonathan expressed with a smile as Alice tugged at her long black hair that was flung over her shoulder.

"So it would seem." Riley replied with a smile as she took in the hustling bodies that were streaming passed Jonathan.

"Have a safe trip Riley." He smiled as he grasped hold of Alice's hand.

"Yeah, you too." She expressed and watched as the couple were swept away with the crowd, giving the young Doctor enough time to collect her belongings and make her own way towards the mouth of the plane.


	5. Chapter Four

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

The late afternoon light was struggling to shine through the grotty windows of the Bear Valley diner due to the years of dirt and the thick layer of ice that caped the glass because of last night's snow storm. Nick and his father were cosily wrapped in thick jumpers as they resided in one of the more comfy booths of the restaurant with large mugs of coffee steaming in their hands and a pie situated in front of them. The werewolf had to keep himself from laughing as he watched the second person struggling to retain their balance as they stumbled across the icy pavements; a few even failed to keep themselves upright and landed in the pile of snow that had been pushed from the road.

Nicholas could see the walls of the diner were lined with framed pictures of the various stages of Bear Valley's construction. A picture depicting the town centre from two hundred years ago was proudly displaying the differences to the town as it sat with a cluster of other grainy photographs that were fifty years apart. The werewolf had to struggle not to squint in the bright lighting, his enhanced eyesight struggling against the intensity of the rays as the owner of the diner tried to counteract the looming darkness that was immersing New York.

But as he looked around the restaurant was full. The human clients were divided amongst local towns folk, vacationers, and then hunters and hikers. The hunters and hikers were dressed in their most expensive outwear. It ranged from the traditional high-end parkers and large winter coats to the over the top boots or hunting equipment; as usual, they were rubbing their fancy clothing and costly equipment in the local's faces as if to make a point. Nick knew that as he sat quietly eating a pie he was dressed in his luxurious jeans with a designer coat hanging over the back of his chair, but as he compared his father's and his own apparel to those of the visiting hunters you could tell who were the show offs.

The tourists on the other hand looked like tourists from anywhere, though a little more adventurous than most. They were always dressed in normal clothing, though not as worn as the Bear Valley inhabitants; the visiting families went out of their way to tip well or to chat with the waitresses and the manager of the diner to express their happiness with their meals. He had never put much thought into the people Bear Valley must have attracted but as he looked around the bustling diner he was finally getting a good idea.

The diner was but a few of the small businesses that had survived over the years and the establishment seemed to thrive within this small community; it seemed the manager who had been handed down the diner by his father had done well in keeping his customers loyal. The quaint building was surrounded by large houses and other run down companies; each of them were slowly reducing in size or production as they're supply and demand seemed to change every decade. Since Nick was born he had been visiting Bear Valley and each time things were different; either by the introduction of a Wal-Mart or a McDonalds but as the larger companies acquired a store, it meant that local business were suffering.

Nick was abruptly pulled from his fond thoughts when a precipitous change in attitude engulfed Antonio as he ruffled the newspaper and forced the papers to the table and displayed the primitive emotions of fear and anger. Nick shot his father a questioning glance and continued in his task once his father had motioned towards the relevant article. Nick left his semi-devoured pastry as he drew his full attention to the written story that described in graphic detail the murder of the young woman who had been found close to the borders of their territory. This was the reason that each member of his pack had been called back home.

However, as Nick was studying the newspaper Antonio jumped at the chance in conducting a little investigation of his own; he would use the towns folk to understand what they thought, what they were talking about and whether they believed Jeremy to be implicated. After years of practise he was able to keep his emotions in check as he surveyed the bustling diner, but as he listened to various conversations he wished he had Riley's ability in remaining as calm and composed as possible. The careless enthrallment from human customers and the capricious contemplations of the restaurant staff was becoming more infuriating; irritation washed onto his features as he eavesdropped on another gossiping couple who were admiring his son. It seemed any 'handsome' stranger from out of town was important news to the young girls fresh out of high school or college and as they sat their ogling at Nicholas he really wished Riley's bus would arrive so Nick's own affections would be focused solely on her and not on another woman he intended to bed. How he wished his son would settle down sometimes.

Antonio was just about to give up as he fluttered his eyes towards the clock that was hanging behind the counter. But he watched as the pregnant waitress waddled up towards one of the tables at the far end of the bar, a large cup of steaming bad coffee in her hands as she waited on her customers. The family's hushed whispers caught his attention and as he lifted his own coffee mug to his lips he intently listened to their conversation as Nick continued to read the paper in front of him.

"How's Jennifer's family?" The waitress voiced with concern etched into her voice as she perched to the vacant chair next to the elderly woman Antonio assumed was the grandmother. The waitress rested her coffee pot to the tabletop while her hands went to her swollen abdomen, her eyes once again never leaving the group in front of her.

"Not good." The elderly lady said in a quite voice as if not to be overheard in the noisy diner. "Apparently the police think it's a wolf, but Jen's father was a hunter he knows what to look for when it comes to a wolf kill. From what I heard he's demanding the police reconsider her cause of death, but the Sherriff and his men are way in over their heads again."

"What does he think could've done it?" The waitress asked as she nervously flickered her eyes towards the older lady who was departing her information. It seemed the town was on high alert and any news, whether that be from the police, the press or gossiping neighbours was a welcomed relief as they tried to protect their friends and family.

"He doesn't know, he's never seen anything like it before."

"Apparently she was found up by the Stonehaven property." The son voiced, his family and friends turning to look at him as he cautiously lent on his hands, his long hair falling into his eyes as his whispered towards the waitress who was cradling her stomach. "Rings too familiar to what happened five years ago don't you think. This time I doubt they'll get away with it."

"Thomas LeBlanc was caught for those murders Jimmy. The Danvers had nothing to do with that." His mother retorted, her eyes hard with a glare to try and reprimand her son, but he was not about to bow to her authority.

"Wouldn't put it passed the blonde though. Maybe someone touched his woman." He countered, his eyebrows rose into a knowing expression and smiled contentedly when he noticed most of them agreeing with his statement.

However, Antonio noticed his son studying him, his reading forgotten as he noticed his father's tight grip on the coffee mug, a question shining in his eyes that was answered by his father replacing the china to the plate before he got to his feet.

"Come on, we'll wait for Riley outside." He whispered as he pulled out his wallet, retrieved a twenty which he dropped to the tabletop and grasped hold of his jacket. Nick shrugged on his trench coat and readjusted the collar, striding behind his father and not failing to notice the giggling girls who were seating in the booth a few meters away. He flashed them a polite small smile before hurriedly jogging up to his father who was striding down the slippery pavement and towards the allocated bus area. As soon as Nick was at his father's side he began to feel the biting chill of the winter air and he curled his hands around the scarf in his coat pocket and wrapped it firmly around his neck.

"I take it from the sudden departure of the diner you got something from the towns gossip chain?" Nick voiced as he shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them from freezing, the werewolf not failing to notice his visible breath as he spoke to his father who was calmly standing by one of the other buildings.

"Well apart from a couple of girls drooling over you, some of the towns folk suspect Clayton but there isn't a substantial amount of evidence to tie any of the Pack to the murder. I don't even think they believe the woman was killed by a wolf." Antonio countered as he flicked his eyes from the bus stop and towards Nick who gazed down towards his father in understanding.

"So what do you suggest?"

"Right now we wait for Riley." Antonio started "And then we tell Jeremy what we discovered." He said with a smile as he clapped the back of Nick's shoulder. However, Nicholas frowned towards his father's deflating posture before turning to see what he had seen. The Sherriff and his Deputy were heading in their direction. With that Antonio's grip on Nick's shoulders tightened while Nick looked to his feet and readjusted his position.

"This could be interesting." Nick grumbled as he angled his body so he was able to get a better view of the bus stop, knowing that Riley's bus would be arriving at any moment.

"Don't worry Nicky, we've done nothing wrong." Tonio countered before a large fake smile washed onto his features as the Police finally came to a stop in front of them.

"I've seen you around town over the years, but I don't think we've properly met." The Sherriff voiced with a welcoming smile, his gun visibly on display against his belt as he held out his hand towards Antonio, suspiciously watching the older man as Nick's father gracefully shook his hand.

"Antonio Sorrentino, and this is my son Nick." Tonio replied with a gracious smile, turning towards Nick who was a good four inches taller than his father. Nick gave a half smile as he too took the Sheriffs hand before taking a step back towards his father and replacing his cold hand into his pocket. "We're old family friends of the Danvers."

"You're visiting him when all of this business with a murdered girl is going on? He must be a little shaken by the discovery of the body near his property line." The deputy resonated; his cheeks flush with colour due to the biting chill of the wintery air. Tonio just frowned when he listened to his statement as he shared a cautious look with Nick. The four of them were apprehensive in their meeting, but none of them would admit it. Instead they stood there, glaring at each other as they listened to the spluttering of the black ice that caped the roads, the general mumblings of people passing by and the howling wind that rippled down the town centre of the valley. They did not speak of what weighed on all of their minds, although Nick could hear the underlying tension and distrust in the Deputy's voice as he conversed with him.

"He's more worried than anything, but we'll be there to support him while we continue to celebrate." Antonio expressed with the composure that would have rivalled Riley's callousness as he spoke with the sheriff in the same way he did his business partners. The Sherriff readily agreed with the elder werewolf, momentarily putting aside their evaluation of the other as they prepared to get an honest to god opinion of the situation. It seemed his work colleague did not get the memo.

"What are you celebrating?" The deputy resounded as he hooked his thumbs through the loops of his trousers. His eyes narrowed as he looked to his left and towards Nick who was apprehensively fidgeting with the material of his inside pocket as he forced his eyes to face the Deputy.

"Just a family thing." Nick answered with a civil smile, inwardly relaxing when the deputy nodded as if happy with his answer. "The paper said something about a wolf kill? Do you think it's true?" Nick asked, face vacant of any signs of emotion as he prepared to chatter with the police officers that seemed to be involved in a case that was proving more difficult than first realised.

"We're unsure, but if there is a wolf settling at the Danvers property we'll have to conduct a proper search." The Sherriff interjected fervently, his eyes hard with sentiment as he curled his hand around his firearm; obviously gaining a sense of security as he discussed a topic he was uncomfortable deliberating.

"Of course." Antonio agreed with a smile as he looked between the two officers in front of him. "Jeremy will be more than happy to attend to your needs. His only concern at this time is to aid you in your investigation and locate the animal responsible."

"We understand, but it is very difficult to search such a vast area, especially when my officers know very little when it comes to the layout of the land."

"I'm sure the Danvers family and they're visitors can help with that. We've been staying up at Stonehaven for many years now and have come to know the forests extremely well."

"Shines too similar to that situation my predecessor had to deal with five years ago when it came to searching Stonehaven."

"That's right, both me and Nick were staying at Stonehaven at the time. Nick was the unfortunate one who found the boy." Antonio expressed with sad eyes as he lifted his arm and rested his palm to Nick's shoulder who had been keenly listening to the conversation as he fell back into his memories.

"It was a challenging situation for all of us." Nick managed to say as he momentarily lost concentration when he noticed a bus turning around the corner without stopping. He trained his eyes to the clock in the diner; Riley's bus was officially late.

"You waiting for someone?" The Deputy asked as he noticed Nick's sudden behaviour. As the werewolf turned his eyes towards the young officer he stepped back onto one of his legs as he took a cautious step away from him, uncertainty shining deep within his eyes as he took in the officers dark judgemental glare as if he did not believe a word his father had just uttered. Nick simply recovered his nonchalant expression, calming his hectic thoughts as he stood his ground and refused to be bullied by the police officer that was standing in front of him.

Antonio couldn't help the smirk from taking hold of his lips as he took in his son's behaviour and his ability to take control of the conversation when he required it. Was this the reason why he found it so easily to flirt with a woman? Maybe this was also the reason Nick felt so strongly towards Riley; he could cover up his emotions so easily when it came to someone he barely knew, but when faced with the challenges of conversing with a woman who could read him better than anyone he got so tongue tied. She meant a great deal to him and he cherished her friendship.

"Just waiting for another one of Jeremy's guests." Nick held with a light-hearted smile on his lips, inwardly screaming for a change of subject while outwardly he displayed the nonchalant emotions that would deter the officers from noticing anymore when it came to his personal relationships.

"Girlfriend?" He chided, his eyes boring into Nick's chestnut orbs who simply returned his own glare as he gave a small shrug and a shake of his head.

"Just an old friend." Nick responded strongly, his eyes staring deeply into the officer's eyes as he refused to divulge any other information as he turned his attention towards the Sherriff who was awkwardly watching the conversation. Nick knew why the Deputy was distrustful of anything he had to say; after all he was distracted due to the concept of seeing Riley again. He knew first hand what it was like to be parted from the one person who knew you better than your only parent, he knew how hard it was not to pick up the phone in the middle of the night just to hear her voice, and he knew how crazy it made you act when you thought back to that person. These thoughts and these emotions were a new prospect for the womanizing werewolf for many of his relationships only lasted a few dates or until he craved for something different. Riley was his something different. Now he was about to reunite with the one woman he hadn't seen for half a year and she was also the woman who made him feel so confused and uncertain of himself he was apprehensive of seeing her again. Deep down his mind was trying to tell his heart that these were only injudicious contemplations for Riley provided him with a great sense of companionship and loyalty; her ideas and the way she managed to calm him and make him see only helped him to be a better man.

"May I ask how long you've known her?" The officer replied sharply, his impatience shining within his voiced and expression as he waited peevishly for Nick to answer him. The werewolf just moved his eyes to look at him, a honourable quality and hidden strength resonating around him as he stood up for himself, a quality that surprised his father considering Nick was anything but a delta wolf within the pack hierarchy.

"How do you know it's a she?" Nick voiced evenly, his voice never having risen in pitch or volume, his words always spoken at the same level as he faced a man Antonio knew he was treating like a Mutt, while one of his eyebrows was raised.

"It's just a question." The officer started, flicking his head back before a smile engulfed his features, it seems he was the first to back down.

"And I don't think it's really any of your business." Nick stated with annoyance as he remained as vague and in control of his emotions as possible as he faced the Deputy.

"They're just a few routine questions." The Sherriff imputed, finally managing to pull the pair from their face off and visibly relaxing when he noticed Nick tearing his eyes away from the younger officer. "At this point of time we just want to eliminate people from our suspect list." However, a deep frown engulfed his features when he finally recognised Nick's far off expression. He shot Antonio a look while the older gentleman just gave a small gentle smile when he realized why his son was unable to retain his concentration to the conversation.

The Sherriff turned around to look behind him, and sure enough realization washed to his features. Nick had noticed a bus pulling up and stopping at the side of the road, its engines vibrating the doors and the windows as the passenger door swished open to reveal a young petite woman thanking the driver before heading towards the doorway. Nick could see her adjusting the strap of her bag that was draped over her shoulder while another carry on was firmly clutched in her other hand. Nick could not stop the large smile from engulfing his lips as his heartbeat rapidly increased with trepidation and elation at the welcoming sight of the woman they had been waiting for.

"Please, excuse me." Nick voiced politely, stating his goodbyes as he looked towards his father who simply answered his silent question with his eyes. Nick smiled before scooting around the Deputy and moved into a jog, the lapels of his jacket flapping behind him as he converged on the bus. As he gained on her position his smile only grew as he took in how the last six months had changed her. Her auburn hair was longer as it fell over her shoulder and down to the middle of her ribs, her long side fringe sweeping across her pale skin and joining with the rest of her hair. She was dressed in a thick black coat very similar to his, but as she moved down the steep steps of the vehicle Nicks sensitive eyes could see that it was undone, allowing him to see she had wrapped a thick mustard yellow scarf around her neck that fell over her chest to mid-thigh. Her eyes were attentive to where she placed her feet, but as she headed towards the pavement Nick was unable to keep unannounced for long.

"Riley!" Nick bellowed, a large handsome smile on his features as he observed Riley snapping her head in the direction she was called, the top of her hair having been pulled into a small pony-tail in a half up, half down style as if too keep her hair from her face. As soon as her eyes recognised Nick's jogging figure her expression brightened ten-fold, her grey eyes sparkling with life while she smiled a smile she saved only for him. Antonio didn't even know he was smiling until the officers in front of him turned back to face him, the smile slowly falling from his lips as he moved his eyes from the joyous couple.

"I would greatly appreciate you letting Mr Danvers and his family know that we will come by in the morning to ask a few questions." The Sherriff expressed as he finally started to say his goodbyes.

"Of course, each of us will help in whatever ways we can." Antonio mustered before nodding his head and skirting around them, noting how Nick was almost to Riley. He observed his sons glowing form and Riley's radiant appearance that had changed a great deal within the year she had been away. Antonio watched as his son slowed his running, his large smile engulfing his expression as he opened his arms and wrapped them tightly around Riley. The young werewolf dropped her suitcase while the other removed the strap from her shoulder as she enveloped her arms around Nick's neck, her chin resting to the back of his shoulder as she clung onto him; her own smile taking over her expression. Riley could not stop the first genuine laugh from escaping her lips as Nick spun her around, the pair of them delighted to be reunited as they continued to cling to the other in a strong death grip.

"My dear Riley, it's been far to long, it's so good to see you." Nick chimed with a smile as he spun them again before gently placing Riley back to her feet, never once relenting the grip he had on her waist as he leant down and rested an adoring kiss to her cheek.

"It's good to be seen." Riley said with a small smile as she looked up towards Nick, feeling his arms tighten around her as he tried to show her how much he had missed her. As Antonio observed the pair he could not help the smile from forming on his lips as he took in how different Nicky was acting in front of the small woman. She maybe only five ft five and when she stood in front of Nick she only managed to reach the bottom of his shoulders. If a complete stranger looked at her, he highly doubted they would take her for a remarkable warrior because she sure as hell didn't look like one. But combine that with a rough upbringing, extensive knowledge in several martial arts and the ability to allow ones emotions to take over Riley was a formidable match to be reckoned with. But as he watched the embracing pair, right now, Riley looked right at home.

Antonio however, was a little subdued as he headed towards the embracing pair, his hearing once again listening into the curious police officers, the deputy obviously having taken and immediate disliking to Nicky whom, if pushed would put up a hell of a fight to protect his family.

"With a reunion like that, how can they be anything but in an exclusive relationship?" The deputy voiced as he turned his attention towards his Sheriff, Antonio snooping into their conversation.

"He's not a killer Randal, just a man who wishes to be left alone."

"Every man can become a killer if the situation demands it sir. All I want to know is if this guy will kill to save her." Antonio just shook himself from his eavesdropping, finally arriving at Nick's side and beamed down towards Riley who seemed to relax at his presence.

"Riley, it's been too long." Antonio boomed happily, his broader figure not towering her as much as Nick's, his strong arms curling around her shoulders while hers were wrapped around his middle; it always astounded him how someone so reserved and private could be so open when in the company of those she trusted, and as he held the small woman he could not help his heart swelling with love as he held her close to him, trying to make her feel as accepted and as loved as possible considering what she had just been through and what she had been suffering with for the last year. Sometimes he just wished she could open up, for her emotions to boil to the top and explode just so she could get her deepest, darkest secrets out to allow her family to see just what she was like in the inside, for she only allowed them a small glimmer of just how strongly she was feeling. He was just thankful she had found a sense of comfort and disclosure in the form of his son, and he was just glad that Nick himself got a feeling of comfort and support from her. But as he looked down at the small woman and Riley's wavy hair, curving figure and changing appearance he could not help but think she had grown into a very beautiful young lady.

"Tonio, you have to forgive me for being away for so long." She voiced as she pulled away, a little astounded by her elders actions as he located her hand, wrapped his long fingers around her palm and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Life gets in the way it seems. You don't have to apologize for something out of your control." He replied, excitement sparkling within his brown eyes as he came to realize how unperturbed she seemed to be within their presence. No wonder considering Clay made her life a living hell while she was at Stonehaven; it seemed the pair had never, and probably would never see eye to eye, and Riley was too passive to ever defend herself against the fiery temper of Clayton, the Pack bodyguard. "Have you eaten? You must be starving?"

"I doubt you had much to eat while you were on the plane." Nick said with a gentle smile as he ducked to his knees so he was able to get a good grip on her belongings while his other arm automatically wrapped around her shoulders and brought her small frame closer to his side.

"You could say that." Riley voiced with a nervous smile, uncomfortably fiddling with her scarf so she was able to grasp hold of her coat buttons; it seemed the sudden cold temperatures were far colder than she was used to causing her to quickly do up her coat.

"How was your flight? I hope everything was as stress free as you wanted." Antonio stated kindly, inwardly smiling at her anxious expression as she shot him a knowing glance, depicting to him that the flight had been far from stress-free and the way she played with the hem of her coat, she was nervous just thinking about it.

"It went as smooth as I could make it, but I have my feet firmly pressed to the ground and I hope to keep it that way for a while." She replied with a sheepish smile before giving Nick a discomfited smile; Nicky just rubbed her shoulder as they continued walking towards their parked car.

"Well you made it in good time, dinners at six and then I'm sure you will want to be debriefed on the situation. I'm guessing it's a little unnerving to be phoned in the dead of night demanding you come home." Antonio expressed with a slight chuckle as his hand disappeared into his coat pocket as if to locate the keys for the Explorer he had borrowed from Jeremy. Riley could only assume that the Mercedes must have been struggling to grip the roads due to the cold and icy roads. "However, we've grabbed you a few pastries. Nick remembered how much you love the bakery down the street."

"Thank you." Riley voiced with a smile as Nick handed her over the bag after he had opened the boot and placed her belongings in the trunk. However, before Nick allowed Riley time to open her door he had rushed to her side and hovered in front of her. The young Doctor simply allowed her eyes to travel towards Nick's brown orbs; his eyes twinkling with affection and concern, as he took gazed into her eyes to identify the torment and the distress that was evidently shining within them.

"It will get easier." He whispered to her gently as he lifted his large hand to rest on her cheek, his eyes boring into hers as if he knew why she had been away for so long and why her hands were starting to tremble. "You just need to give it time." he finished, uttering words he knew she needed to hear. Both of them were spiralling back into their memories of a conversation they had shared beside the river, a discussion that had forever changed their relationship and was still effecting them to this day.

"I have a feeling that time might have run out." Riley stammered her eyes sparkling with unshed water as the pair of them uttered words that were slowly breaking them. Riley just shot him a weak smile before heaving at the door handle so she was able to slip into the back seat. Nick could only stand there, contemplating her words before he too got into the front passenger seat.


	6. Chapter Five

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

_As she bolted through the dense cover of the tree's she could barely see through a swirling mist of fog, her feet hooking under protruding roots as she stumbled over foliage along the dark barriers of the forest. She weaved through a scatter of mutilated bodies that blocked her path. There was no time to stop and see if they still clung onto the last seconds of life for she knew what had mauled them; somehow she knew what was following her, somehow she knew where she was going and for some bizarre reason she knew she was on a mission._

_The young werewolf was staggering and reeling from the blistering pain caused by her wounds, she forced herself to press onwards; she was on the verge of collapse, her eyes flashing red but she knew there would be plenty of time to collapse later. How she knew all of this she did not know, but right now it was imperative she reached the castle she knew to be at least a mile away and she needed to hurry._

_Swathed in a ratty old hooded cloak, she ignored the massive amount of blood that gushed from the several deep wounds the littered her back. She was extremely dizzy from the blood loss and questioned herself many times if she was even going in the right direction. But as she gracelessly hurdled over a fallen log everything in her body ran cold forcing her to a stop with petrified stillness. It was like her body refused to move, even when her brain recognized the danger of staying still for a long period of time, her terror kept her unmoving as her enhanced senses worked in overdrive._

_It was not the clawing of the tree branches or the screeching of startled owls that terrified her; it was laughter. The haunting bellowing laughter that engulfed her, reverberating through the maze of thick tree trunks and carried by the glacial mist that encased her. She could hear it everywhere; her werewolf hearing failing her, as the eerie forest seemed to resonate the bloodcurdling chuckling that resembled something so familiar._

_The hairs on the back of her neck stood tall, the young woman shoving her body to look behind her as a malevolent hooded figure swooped back to the darkness. Again she spun around, the tail ends of a cloak etched the corner of her vision as her overwhelmed senses caused her to bolt. She forced herself from the laughing, desperate to escape and retell the information she needed to bestow to the King; she was in such a panic that she was unaware of the thick twisted root that caught her foot. Just as she was about to tumble head first into the earth, her hands connected to the rough edges of a nearby tree to steady herself from falling. She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself._

"_I will have my revenge!" She shoved herself back from the tree. Her mind scrambling with recognition as unidentifiable images flashed through her mind as her eyes finally managed to identify the differences of her surroundings. Gone was the unending maze of trees, gone was the jutting tree roots, instead she was standing in a clearing, the mist spiraling on the floor as beautiful wild flowers shone within the dawning morning light. How the hell did she get here? Her mind reeling with uncertainty until her heart trembled within her chest as the familiar voice boomed around her._

"_I will destroy the King and his line." She spun around again, her body stumbling with painful distress as her injured back seared with agony as her wounds burned with an intense flame that was all to familiar; she was to go through a pain she had once endured what seemed like a lifetime ago. _

"_She will stop me from finishing what I started." The memorable voice persisted, his voice so loud she froze. As the anxiety swarmed her body, her body retaliated, her breathing hitched, her breath visible within the dense cover of fog that had engulfed her. She wanted to flinch, to flail away from the figure who was slowly trailing his fingertips over the bare skin of her arms. She wanted to scream, to demand he take his hands away from her, for her diffident persona to break into one of confidence and fire, but her brain and body would not obey the other. His hands trailed over her shoulder, his cold hands sweeping across her neck causing the shuddering of her heart and the heaving of her chest which were the only physical symptoms that displayed the emotional turmoil that consumed her. It was when the wet feeling of his lips touching the sensitive skin of the crook of her neck did her body finally retaliate, forcing itself away from the onslaught of his attentions as she spun around to face him. _

_What she saw made her confusion increase. His face was hidden, his large black cloak obscuring her view as the robe concealed his form. She could not help but think about the Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings as she took in his appearance. But before she could even comprehend what she was seeing and thinking, his stone like hand reached out for her, his voice bellowing with uncontained fury._

"_I hate that! I hate it!" He thundered, his outstretched hands lunging for her while his robe flickered around his undetermined form. All she could think of doing was shriek away from him, flinging her torso so she was cradling her head by her knees; when she felt nothing, when his body did not shunt hers she fretfully removed her hands from her face to see he had disappeared._

"_I don't hate her. No. Not her. Never her." His voice bellowed, echoing around the serene clearing which had lost all beauty as his tormenting tone and distressing words cut into her heart as her apprehension at his sentiments made her agitated and disturbed._

"_For we have a destiny." He said to her left, the young werewolf shoving herself so she could look at him, the bottom of his face finally visible. Once upon a time she would have relaxed at the sight, but as her eyes noticed his lip-curling smile her teeth were suddenly put on edge. "We are connected she and I." He vanished._

"_And she is not like the others." He appeared directly in front of her, his hand reaching out for her once again as his lips twisted into a sinister yellowed smile. His eyes were still hidden, his inhuman stony hand wrapping around her wrist which she suddenly forced from his gasp, taking an uncontrollable step back as he too took a step towards her. He kept gaining on her. "They were afraid." he disappeared from view again. The young woman just stood there, her eyes scattering to the dark trees that surrounded her, the beams of sunlight unable to reach her as she frantically searched for the man who had been standing in front of her only moments before. _

"_Conquered." he whispered, coercively wrapping his arms around her shoulders and placing his arms over her bust so his hands could rest to her abdomen; an action for only the most intimate of lovers. She struggled against his hold as her werewolf strength had failed her. "But she has a strength, a strength like a king of old." the wolf grasped hold of his wrist in whatever hold she could muster, lifted her arms into a crossed position before she bent over and twisted, violently removing herself from his embrace as she stumbled further into the clearing. As she spun around to face him, she was not surprised to not see him. _

_For what felt like minutes he did not reappear. Her eyes strenuously searching. Her instincts always on alert. The chilly temperature was suddenly getting to her, her gaunt features streaked with sweat, as the fever that had overcome her body propelled her down an unfamiliar route of invalidity. Her back blazing with scorching fire as her untreated wounds stung due to the biting chill. However, she was almost certain that she had avoided her attacker, mentally preparing herself for her getaway. She turned, and what she saw had her stumbling. Behind her, stood hundreds of winged creatures; their talons embedding into the earth, their wings effortlessly swaying the mist as their perilous forms sauntered towards her. The terror that overwhelmed her had her shrieking away from the converging group of creatures. Her back throbbed, her open, but usually scarred over wounds itching with familiarity as her mind unconsciously replayed that traitorous event that she had lived through the last time she faced them. She tripped on her feet, her back collapsing to the misty ground below her, the hooded figure and the creatures stalking towards her as she frantically crawled away from them, her eyes never leaving them as the stone man crouched in front of her. _

"_If I cannot stop her I will have her." He countered with a nauseating smile as he sat on his knees, his unseen eyes sparkling blue from the depths of his dark hood. "I will have my vengeance by her obeying my orders. By forcing her to switch sides." She tried to move, to get out of his grip as his stone hand moved towards her, cupping her cheek. "Riley Thompson, you are mine." He snarled before she was overrun with the creatures who hungrily converged to feed. _

_She woke with a start. _

0-0-0

As Jeremy walked through the recognizable foyer of his home, he was consciously aware of the lack of sound coming from the living room. It seemed Antonio had failed in keeping their newest arrived guest from succumbing to sleep. Clay and Elena were right outside the window on the patio with Nick, catching up on the events that had occurred over the last few weeks; however, it seemed not even their animated talk could disrupt the comfortable silence of the house. He was hoping, that with the introduction of three of their missing pack members, their personalities and their presence could finally bring the house that had settled so comfortably into a sense of hibernation back to life.

Even though he failed to show it he was generally delighted to have Riley back at Stonehaven; it seemed she brought a sense of peace and tranquility via her serene demeanor as her cool-headed mindset was able to dissipate even the most dangerous bouts of anger. He hated to admit it, but things seemed brighter and a little more hopeful now that she had arrived. He greatly appreciated her quietness, a welcomed relief from Clay and Elena's raised voices whether that be in anger, joy, frustration or laughter, whatever they did they did it loud. Every footstep was a pound or a stomp, as they barreled through doorways, sprawled across sofas and carpets, their presence so loud he could hear it in the walls when they were gone.

But, as he moved through the large archway that led to the living room, he could not stop the affectionate smile from reaching his features when he took in Riley's slumbering form; her hands curled tightly to her chest as she clung onto a blanket that Antonio had located for her. Riley's dark auburn locks were shimmering behind her head as she rested on the pillows that were supporting her shoulders and her head. Her chest was rising and falling delicately as she slept, a contented look iridescent on her features as she continued to hug her pillow closer to her. Jeremy could not stop the uncommon smile from engulfing his lips as he continued to watch her sleeping, marveling in her peaceful countenance as she slept.

Nevertheless, he was pulled from his thoughts when the raucous laughter of the intruding trio burst to his ears, their joyous chatter vibrating through the corridors of their home as they headed towards the living room, coming to an abrupt halt when they noticed their alpha standing in the middle of the room, having turned his attention from the sleeping woman in front of them. Nick however smiled fondly towards the sleeping beauty on the couch and struggled to compose his laughter when his eyes fluttered towards the slumbering form of his father who seemed to be catching flies.

However, the composed alpha could not resist the temptation to lower his form to its knees and reached out his large hand to softly brush the stray strands of hair from her face, curling the strands so they was neatly tucked behind her ear. He refused to regulate the smile that washed to his lips as he watched her wake; Riley moved her head into his gentle touch, the air whooshing to her lungs as she stirred. Jeremy momentarily lost concentration as he took in the tall figure of Nick heading towards his Father, taking hold of the open book that was resting on his chest and dramatically closed it in Antonio's face, laughing when he watched his Father bolting awake.

"I'm sorry I woke you." Jeremy breathed softly, observing as Riley fluttered her eyes, her grey orbs unfocused and dazed before the final hold of sleep vanished from her body. "I know you must be tired."

"It's alright." She breathed with an unknowing smile as she stretched out the cramps of her muscles during the time period of remaining in a single position. Jeremy simply readjusted his position once again, getting to his feet as he held out his hand for Riley, smiling at her tenderly as he felt her cold fingers curling around his, aiding her into a seated position as Clay and Elena collapsed onto the sofa facing Riley while Nick came and perched to the other end of the sofa the werewolf Doctor had inhabited. "So what's the situation?" Riley asked, noting how her family moved their gaze from their alpha towards her. "You wouldn't be calling me in the dead of night if it wasn't important." She managed to say, fighting a yawn that she was unable to stop inhibiting her expression.

"Straight to the point I see." Jeremy replied, humor twinkling in his eyes as he leant his hips to the front of his desk while his arms were folded tightly across his chest. "Same as always."

"So are you going to tell me? With the urgency you tried to get me out here with I doubt this can wait till morning." Riley voiced nothing but seriousness in her expression as she nervously looked towards Stonehaven's inhabitants, noticing how each of them had uncharacteristically become uncomfortable everyone except Clay.

"A few days ago, it came to our attention that a body of a woman was discovered at our property line." Jeremy declared, his dark eyes focused purely on her as he tried to read her expression; he was not surprised when Riley hardly reacted, her composed expression radiated her personal character of a professional Doctor. It seemed Riley adopted a way of living to remain as calm and composed during challenging situations; Jeremy knew it was the Doctor within her, knowing how difficult it sometimes could be when she had to notify distraught families about the passing of their beloved family member.

"Sounds eerily familiar." She stated, confusion engulfing her heart when she observed Antonio's knowing smile before she turned her attention briefly towards Elena who listened to what she had to say. "We sure Karl Marsten isn't playing some sort of sick joke on us to force you in giving him better territory?"

"Sound thinking, but unfortunately this time it is not the case." Jeremy replied.

"As soon as we identified the similarities Marsten was the first wolf we got in contact with. He's still in Wyoming having made a comfortable life for himself. He's not one to force a fight now he's got what he wants." Elena imputed, her long silver-blonde hair tightly pulled into a hair band so she did not struggle with the problems Riley did when it came to controlling her side-fringe.

"Leading to my next question; if it wasn't Marsten who could have put the body there?" Riley asked as her tired eyes fluttered between her family members.

"I think the better question is what, not who put the body there." Antonio itemized as he leant his elbows on his knees, his expensive shirt tightly incasing his bulging arms as he moved his attention towards Riley who had given him hers.

"I don't understand."

"The body held three very distinctive but troubling wounds." Jeremy enunciated, his smooth voice bringing Riley's attention back to him while the rest of his pack moved their eyes or their heads towards whoever was speaking. The four of them already understood the seriousness of the situation, but they remained quiet to allow their Alpha plenty of time to detail to Riley what had been occurring at Stonehaven the last few days; each of them knowing she held the key to unlocking the information they had yet to acquire. "Wounds that the police believe to have been given by a large wolf yet Elena and Clay have not tracked any mutts on our territory. On closer inspection of the various newspaper articles it has been speculated that the scratches are far too large to have been done by a wolf. We believe you may have some valuable insights into what may have caused these abrasions."

"So what are you saying? That you have no idea what has killed this woman and the only lead you have is three scratches that may or may not prove valuable in finding the creature or human."

"In a way." Jeremy said with a smirk. "But it's a little more complicated than you studying the articles and giving us a medical opinion."

"More complicated?" Riley breathed in misperception. "Please tell me this isn't some weird American-British miss identification where you actually mean you couldn't determine the cause of death or struggled to figure out how to read the medical garb or something." Riley complained, her eyes moving away from Jeremy's as she looked towards her friends for any sort of inkling that she was right. As she flicked her eyes towards Nick, his somber expression made her blood run cold before she looked back towards Jeremy in resignation. "Go on, tell me how this can be more complicated."

"Maybe it's best if we show you." Elena spoke as she pointed Jeremy a knowing look, her eyes piercing right into his as Jeremy momentarily moved the bangs from his face before pulling at the newspaper that Antonio had procured that was on his desk and passed it to Riley.

The young werewolf calmly took the paper from her elder placing it on her lap before she wrapped her ginger hair around her ear before she felt Nicky scooting closer and she lifted her attention towards him. The unease that was spiraling within her only got worse as she recognized the concern that was embedded deep within his chocolate orbs as he started to reach out for her as if to lessen the pain she was about to feel. But, it seemed he thought better of it and his hand fell limply to his lap. What she saw made her blood run cold.

It was like she was looking through a mirror; the woman was about her age, deep red hair and a pale complexion that had turned blue and green from rigor mortis and the lack of blood pumping around her body. However, it was not the physical resemblance that had spooked her, that she could handle, but it was her scratches. The full back of the woman's rust colored shirt was bloodied and mutilated. Dried and clotted blood absorbed nearly every square inch of her tattered clothing. In between the rips of fabric, Riley could see the openings of flesh. Three large serrated gashes ran from the back of her left shoulder right down to her waist. The cuts were not neat; rather the flesh appeared to have been shredded to ribbons. Riley knew the agony that the victim had gone through in the final hours of her life; she knew first hand just how it felt. But as she continued to look at the photo, at the mutilated flesh, she could see that the t-shirt had been completely torn to expose the terror some scratches; it was in that moment that Riley couldn't help the conscious feeling of her own scars that were resting against the soft material of her top.

"You should have called me earlier." Was all Riley managed to say, her distant demeanor snapping back into place as her professionalism engulfed her, the werewolf using this as a shield to try and process the information in her own time but to also regain control of the anger and the utter devastation that was threatening to take hold of her.

"I would have, but I wanted to make sure I had all the information." Jeremy responded gently, excavating himself from behind the desk, guiding himself to Riley's side to try and make her understand his actions. "As you can see, I didn't want to involve you in this unless it was completely necessary."

"Necessary?" Riley breathed, a pained expression on her features as she took in the photo of the woman that was draped across her lap and the injury that she had sustained. "Jeremy, I know far more about this thing than anyone." Riley retorted, her eyes flashing back towards Jeremy whose calm appearance and small smile seemed to reign in her quick anger, knowing that the animal within her was restless considering the situation she was once again facing.

"But this thing you've been tracking was over in England, we can't be sure it travelled over to the States." Nick questioned a statement that he had intended to aid in calming her when in actual fact it did quite the opposite. Nicky was right, how had it travelled from England to the States? Sure it had pretty impressive wings but surely someone would have seen it, unless there was more than one of them. Now that was an idea that scared her more than anything.

"Unless it's not the only one." Riley whispered, her eyes frantically searching for his and she was momentarily comforted when she felt Nick's large warm fingers wrapping around hers as the pair of them looked to the other.

"What are you saying?" Clay asked, a frown of concern on his expression as he tried to comprehend the idea of a creature that maybe stalking them.

"What I'm saying is that a creature I thought to be alone may not be the only one."

"That is a prospect I am not happy with." Jeremy informed as he again folded his arms. Riley simply looked to him, her mind frantic with different thoughts and emotions, but the most prominent was her failing. Riley had been unable to do anything to help this poor woman; she had been unable to identify the creature she had tracked for so many years and now, as she sat surrounded by her Pack, she knew that she had failed to kill the creature with a detrimental cost. It had found another victim.

"There was no indication that it was alone, but then there were no signs that it had company either." Riley stammered.

"Can you be absolutely sure that each time you faced this creature it was the same one? Did it have any identifiable marks on it that you would be able to recognize?" Antonio questioned as he too tried to move closer to the conversation, Nick's father perching himself to the arm right by Elena whose own unease was etched to her figure.

"Yes, I managed to tear though one of its wings which has scared over. I also gave him a scar that runs across his right eye."

"And you've always faced this one." Antonio ordered again. Riley just nodded her head in agreement. "Then we can only assume that there is only one."

"But then, if we do that and we find more it could have disastrous effects." Nick quipped as he spoke towards his Father who seemed to nod his head in agreement with his son, coming to a conclusion that his last statement was invalid.

"Thing is we need to know more about this creature, to figure out what it is and what it wants before we can even consider going up against this thing." Clay countered, trying to bring the conversation back on track as he trained his attention solely to Riley who awkwardly squirmed under his intense gaze.

"We know this may be difficult, but you need to tell us what happened to you the day you received your own scars." Antonio urged his hands clasped together, Nick noticing Riley deflating as if she had been afraid of the conversation leading to this outcome, knowing that she would have to divulge in a part of her past that she did not want to relive.

"What happened?" Elena asked gently as Riley moved her eyes to her lap and then towards Nick who gave her an encouraging smile.

"I don't know." Riley whispered with a sheepish smile, Nick clasping his hand back around Riley's as he keenly listened to what she had to say.

"You mean you don't remember." Clay said with an edge of irritation at Riley's lack of co-operation when deep down the animal within her was demanding she run.

"That's one of the days I'll never forget." Riley said with a sad smile her head nodding as she absentmindedly played with Nick's fingers that were intertwined with her own. "It's just everything happened all at once making it difficult for me to see what or who attacked me." Riley explained, unsure as to why Nick and Antonio were looking at her as if she were the most remarkable person they had ever met. "I guess that's one of the reasons I've tracked and hunted it for so long. I mean, it was only last month when I managed to locate it in Epping Forest, on the outskirts of London."

"Was that where you were, when this creature attacked you the first time?" Jeremy questioned

"No." Riley started with a shake of the head. "I grew up in a small town a few miles from Chelmsford. My home backed out onto Blakes Wood in Danbury. That was where it found me; I can only assume that it was stalking and watching me."

"What happened next?" Nick asked gently as he ran the skin of his thumb gently over hers.

"I wasn't able to change into my wolf form, so I ran, and then it was on me. I can still feel the way its claws felt as his talons slashed at my back. But the pain was nothing compared to what I had to go through in the coming weeks."

"What do you mean?" Nick said again, asking a question everyone wanted to say.

"I got sick, real sick that had all of the medical people stumped. It also didn't help the fact that I was unable to go to a human Doctor considering my disposition. When I came through, they all told me I was lucky to be alive and I should count my blessings. I guess you could say they were one of the reasons I became a Doctor in the first place." Riley finished with a smile, a small chuckle escaping her lips as she took in her Pack's baffled countenance.

It seemed she was gaining a little confidence around them, to divulge small parts of her past, but when it came to changing, she knew they always stared at her scars with curiosity. Sure, her figure was all right and she had the curves most woman craved, but the sheer volume of scars that littered her skin was disconcerting and she still struggled to accept them when it came to displaying them to a lover, even though there had been very few romantic partners in her life.

"So what do we do?" Clay questioned as he pulled everyone from his or her thoughts.

"We need to talk to the police, to see if they have discovered anything more over the last few days." Jeremy said as he moved his gaze from Riley back to his adopted son.

"And if not?"

"Then we go hunting."


	7. Chapter Six

Riley stood at the bathroom sink, staring at herself in the mirror, and not liking what she saw. She could not help comparing herself to the elegant forms of both Elena and Paige; both of which always seemed regally serene and perfect. Every one of Paige's deep brown hairs in place, her lipstick a glossy slash of red on flawless skin, while Elena's easy going approach meant her hair always seemed to do what she asked. The image Riley saw in the mirror was neither peaceful nor unblemished. Her hair was as wild as a banshee's, her red coils overwhelming a face that was pale and strained. 'I'm not myself.' She thought. 'Have I changed so much that I no longer recognise my own reflection? When did I turn into this stranger?'

Another memory of her tormenting nightmare washed though her mind and she closed her eyes, fighting to forget the images, resisting them as fiercely as though her life depended on it. Sheer willpower couldn't hold back the inevitable. Her mind was overcome with the pictures of her dreams, the feeling of the hooded figure's hands on her bare skin made her shiver and convulse while his words speared her heart like a hunter's spear catching his prey. Riley just rested her hands to the porcelain sink, her head resting to the cold object as she leant back to try and clear her head.

She lingered there with her head hung over the basin, not yet daring to leave the security of the bathroom. Thinking: I've been plagued with dreams for the last year, please just let me sleep. When her frantic mind finally calmed, she felt so drained she sat down in the corner of the bathroom by the wall, slumped sideways as her elbow rested on the closed lid of the toilet as she rested her forehead on her hand.

She thought back to the conversation she had shared with her pack earlier that evening. All the conflicting prospects in how to deal with this situation still nerved her, the frustrations of trying to tease out any useful information from this community of people who classed them as outsiders, or a police department who categorized Jeremy and his family as number one suspects. But she knew that they had plenty of leg work in front of them, the exhaustion of finding vital evidence that the police had missed due to their more sensitive senses meant she would have a great deal of work laid out in front of her; she would follow Jeremy's orders or obey commands given to her from Elena and Clay, after all she was anything but an alpha or beta within the Pack hierarchy.

Safe to say she wasn't the most skilled when it came to hunting. She didn't have a sensitive nose like Elena, she didn't have the strength like Clayton and Antonio and she wasn't like Nick when it came to keeping an open mind and being used as bait. Instead, she found her strength in books, in knowledge and being able to be as emotionally composed and detached; strengths that didn't necessarily help the pack when it came to bringing down the perpetrator.

But then, if someone walked in on her now, seeing the turmoil on her face Riley would shriek back, lock down all emotional barriers and refuse anyone to see how she was really feeling. That was how she dealt with things and she also knew that was the reason why she felt more alone than ever, even when she was locked in a room with hundreds of people. She knows she pushes people away and right now she wished she could finally let someone in.

Riley wanted to see Nick, more like needed to see him. He was the only one who knew about her dreams and how they were slowly become more of a problem. He would provide her with the outsiders point of view that she cherished, he could aid in trying to come up with some sort of answer and most of all he would not judge her, he would not say she was being ingenuous and he would give her the comfort she wanted, but interrupting his sleep at three in the morning would not be very considerate of her.

At last, Riley straightened and stepped out from the bathroom. Her head felt clear now, her stomach and mind settled; the ghost of the old Riley creeping back into its skin. She knew she needed a few more hours of sleep, to clear her mind of any and all her troubles and sleep until the sun rose, but as she looked towards her unmade bed the young Doctor was too awake to even consider sleeping. Riley just crept towards her bedroom door, her small fingers curling around the freezing metal and grimaced when the handle seemed to squeal like a terrified wild boar.

As the sound echoed through the vacant hallways and rooms of the building Riley had to concentrate her hearing, her most defined sense. She could both hear and feel her heartbeat thundering in her chest as she tried to listen for any signs that her squeaky door handle had woken any of her friends. Luckily she could still hear Clayton's heavy snoring and the inaudible mumbles of Nick's conversation as he spoke to himself while he slept.

When she knew the coast was clear she slowly edged her way out of her bedroom and slunk onto the landing. She passed several closed doors, trying to not make a sound, but as soon as she passed Nick's she couldn't help but slow as she heard his voice.

"The only thing I want in the world and it's right at my doorstep." He muttered in frustration as he unknowingly caused an affectionate smile to take hold of Riley's features as she stalked passed his room and towards the stairs.

It was only when she had made it into the safety of the kitchen did she realise just how cold she was. The biting chill of the winter air outside was freezing the droplets of sweat that had engulfed her body; goosebumps dominating the surface of her skin as her unnaturally warm body struggled to retain it's heat. Riley inwardly cursed at her idiocy of forgetting her dressing gown as she quickly moved towards the kettle to make her much needed tea.

However, as she waited for the water to boil she could not help but be attracted towards the large windows that dominated the far wall that led to the back garden. What she saw was something from a Christmas card. In the night, a blizzard of snow had engulfed Stonehaven meaning the white powder covered the garden furniture, hung on leaves and was piled high on top of tree branches; but what took Riley's breath away was the quietness and tranquillity that seemed to rapture her surroundings. There were no signs of any wild animals, no birds not even an owl calling for its mate. The beauty of the undisturbed snow lying in front of her momentarily distracted her from her troubling thoughts before the whistling of the kettle pulled her from her reprieve.

Nevertheless, before Riley settled with her beverage she manoeuvred herself to the opposite side of the table, her eyes taking in the large cluttered bookcase that dominated the side wall opposite the kitchen appliances. A small contented smile briefly engulfed her expression as her womanly fingers trailed over the worn bindings of a large leather bound journal. She pulled the book from the shelf, the young werewolf having forgotten the weight of the diary before she quietly placed it to the glossed wood of the dining table.

As she heaved at the cover, her eyes fell to the first page, her eyes twinkling with recognition as her fingertips gently trailed the intricate lines that connected various names to others, while other lines seemed to overlap or connected several names to different people on multiple occasions. Her eyes however were drawn to one whose name was, at this moment in time, far more important than any others. She could see Jeremy's family tree. His name was placed directly underneath his father Malcom's face while Clayton's was located underneath his. She had made it so that Elena, considering she was bitten and no werewolf heritage, was connected to Clayton's name just so future generations could see where one of the female werewolves belonged. Unlike Elena, she had no idea who her father was so her name was settled just to the right and nearer the bottom of the page.

After she had finished studying her scrawl against the pages, she continued to flick between the pages, noticing how each of the members of her Pack had a medical profile. Her eyes taking in the relevant information when it came to confirmed blood types, height, weight, medical allergies and other relevant information she may need if she had to treat one of the Pack. It had come in handy too, considering if any of them ever needed a blood transfusion any individual of the Pack could provide while Elena was the unlucky one with the universal blood type O. It seemed she could be called upon whenever someone needed blood.

But after a while a frown was plastered to her eyebrows, confusion spiralling through her veins when she took in the unfamiliar handwriting that replaced hers, and keeping up with her excessive journal keeping. Recent injuries had been noted, detailing the medical care given, whether that be for a minor scrape caused by a friendly tousle that had been a little rough or the serious injury Clayton had suffered after facing a mutt.

"Can't sleep?" a soothing voice sounded, forcing Riley from her thoughts as she snapped her eyes towards the man who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. A welcoming smile took hold of her features when she realised Jeremy was drowsily stumbling into the room and collapsed into the chair facing her.

"How could you tell?" Riley countered, lifting her mug to her lips as she took a large sip of her drink.

"Coz you're awake." Jeremy replied with an unusual smile of his own. "We should have known you would struggled with some sort of jet lag, you're not a seasoned traveller like Nick and Tonio." Jeremy finished as he too poured himself a steaming mug of tea from the teapot in front of them.

"I'm partly to blame, I shouldn't have taken that nap this afternoon." Riley replied as she poured the milk for her Alpha, slowly relaxing as Jeremy's calm demeanour soothed her frantic nerves. Jeremy just smiled at her.

"Yet you still look tired, and not because you're still on English time." Jeremy inquired as he too took a large sip of his drink, a knowing glint shining within his eyes. "And before you even consider lying to me, don't forget that I was the Pack doctor long before we found you." Jeremy finished, interrupting the protest that Riley was about to utter. She just closed her gaping mouth, let out the breath of air she was holding in a deep sigh of resignation.

"I've not been sleeping well." Riley started, her fingers cradling her hot mug as she refused to look towards Jeremy whose intense gaze would have even the most confident husky running.

"As in insomnia?"

"As in dreams." Riley uttered, finally moving her eyes to his. His expression was as emotionless as usual, but considering she was just as adept at hiding how she was feeling, she knew that she was one of the best people to ever read the Pack alpha. As she took in his eyes she could see the twinkling of concern that was almost hidden under the surprise and confusion that remained hidden from his expression.

"What do you see?"

"Images of what I believe to be medieval England. I see horrific battles, the killing of mythological creatures and a great king discussing a war between an enemy I have yet to identify. But what scares me is that most of the time they don't even feel like dreams but more like memories; its kinda like I'm watching videos of my life or a past life I may have lived." Riley explained, her eyes desperately searching Jeremy's for any sign of reaction; she wasn't surprised when she didn't see one.

"Does anyone else know? Do you have any contacts at Bart's that could help you?" He voiced, concern audible within his tone as he placed his now empty mug to the tabletop in front of him. Riley just shook her head and looked towards her hands.

"I've only told you and Nick; it's not in my nature to go around screaming my problems." Riley voiced "I've managed so far, I can deal with my troubles just like I always have."

"But things are different now Riley, you have a family who love you, who worry about you." Jeremy said with a tone she had never heard him use with her before, she was even more astounded when he gently placed his hand over hers. "I'm not going to lie, this last year was hard, for all of us. You bring a unique calmness to the Pack, able to qualm Clayton and Elena when they argue, or make each of them see passed they're anger when a situation doesn't go they're way. I will also go so far to say that I needed your medical expertise a few times this year and Elena has missed your company."

"I've missed her too." Riley whispered as she looked towards her alpha through her long side fringe that had fallen over her eyes.

"Then what's keeping you away? What's so bad that keeps you from you're family?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know or you wont tell me?" Jeremy asked with a cocked eyebrows and a small smirk, Riley just provided him with one of her own.

"I think a little bit of both." She voiced and looked away, obviously signalling to him that the conversation was closed. However, as Riley took in the still surroundings of her home she couldn't help but momentarily look back towards her elder; Jeremy was also observing the quietness of his back garden, the white snow bringing a peaceful beauty to the place. He was not surprised when he turned back towards the youngest of his Pack to see her observant eyes studying him.

"What is it?" He asked with a light smile, a tranquil expression on his features as he shared an early morning tea, and small revelation.

"I just wanted to know why you kept updating the journal." Riley expressed, one of her hands resting gently on the leather cover of the book positioned in front of her. "It wasn't your duty, god knows you have enough of them."

"We may all have our own responsibilities within the pack, but considering the year we've had when it comes to medical assistance it was reassuring to know past ailments."

"I don't understand."

"I'm sure Nick informed you of Clayton's run in with a mutt when he saw you last, but he was in pretty rough shape. Safe to say, that if you hadn't determined blood groups for each individual, Clay probably wouldn't be here with us." Jeremy informed, his eyes unjudging, his eyes only gentle as he observed Riley's reaction to the news.

"If he was so badly hurt why didn't you contact me?" She questioned, lifting her beverage to her lips as she awaited Jeremy's answer.

"I knew you needed some time and space to yourself, you remember that we gave enough to Elena when she was going through her transition from human to werewolf, it was only fair that I gave you the same courtesy."

"But what if I was waiting for that phone call, a message to say that I was needed. You know I don't deal well with having to pick up the phone, or anything like that for that matter."

"I know of your anxieties Riley, I know you worry that your replaceable, that we don't need you, but trust me, I know for certain that at least one of us does." Jeremy resounded before he got to his feet, placed an uncommon kiss to the top of his head before he withdrew. "Try to get some sleep, I fear it maybe a long day tomorrow."

0-0-0

Riley could feel the strong tug of unconsciousness slowly withdrawing from her body as she cautiously stretched her tiny limbs with careful movements so not to disturb whatever or whoever has occupied the bedside next to her. She flickered her eyes; the warm sunlight identified the arrival of morning while her sensitive hearing picked up on the clattering of pans and the blustery wind spiralling over the building that correlated to countryside estates instead of the busy city life with which she was used to. However, as she brought in a lungful of air she repositioned her head against the soft pillow, angling her head so her eyes could finally fall onto the figure that was gently whispering her name. She couldn't help the smile from taking hold of her lips as her foggy mind immediately recognised the half dressed form lying next to her.

"Nicky?" Riley asked with another unknowing smile as she once again stretched out, readjusting her position as she laid on her other side. Nick simply modified his own position, lying on his side so he was facing her while his strong arm was able to support his torso so he was leaning over her. His warmth comforted Riley as he was unknowingly lying almost on top of her.

"Pretty good wake up call huh?" He said with a smile as he folded his arms in front of him, his handsome chiselled smile resting on his lips as he gazed down towards the young woman below him. He could see her dark auburn locks were shimmering behind her head as she rested on the pillows that she was slowly repositioning as she heaved her torso to the back of the headrest, a contented look on her sleepy features which only encouraged the ecstatic smile that was washing to his lips as he watched her wake. "You look so adorable when you wake up." He voiced, the older werewolf unable to resist the temptation and reached out his large hand to softly brush the stray stands of her hair from her face, curling the locks so they were neatly tucked behind her ear.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here?" She voiced with a knowing expression that slowly moved into one of contentment as Nick continued to scoot closer towards her. Riley just smiled as she took in Nick's un-styled hair, the perfect lines of his sculptured arms and chest as his well-defined shoulders leant protectively over her.

"Like you'd want me to keep away." He started. "Besides, I've missed you and I didn't really see you yesterday."

"Well, I think you've made up for it." Riley replied as she leant her head to the right, unknowingly looking at Nick through her side fringe as he repaid her statement with a smile of his own. "Yesterday was pretty busy on my part."

"Yes, because an eight hour flight, plus a four hour bus ride was just an average day for you. But let me be the first to compliment you on how rested you look considering the day you had." Nick expressed as he lifted one of his balled fists so it was resting on his head, still hanging close to Riley who had collapsed into the pillows propped up behind her.

"Must be the baggy t-shirt." Riley joked as she momentarily looked away from Nick as she ran her fingers through her side fringe before observing Nick whose eyes fluttered down to her apparel.

"Could've been worst." He answered with a gentle smile "Not everyone has to follow my fashion tips. You look amazing!"

"Coming from the man who doesn't think hair-stylists, fashion magazines and skin cream are only for woman you would have thought I'd done something right." Riley said with a genuine laugh that made Nick smile deviously towards her.

"Would you just take the compliment?"

"Or what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Wouldn't you like to try." Riley countered with her own sneaky smile as she moved her shoulders before leaning back to the tops of her pillows, her eyes closing blissfully as she felt Nicky letting out the air in his lungs and looking down to her covered form as she slowly woke for the day. "To be honest I've not felt like I've had a good night's sleep in a long time. Last night was probably the most I've slept in over a year."

"You still having bad dreams?" He asked her gently as he lifted his hand and placed them over hers as she nervously twiddled her fingers. Riley just dropped her head to the pillow so she was looking at him again, receiving all the consolation she craved last night.

"Nearly every night." She said with a nod. "So last night's dream didn't come as a surprise."

"I wish there was something I could do for you, at least someway I could ease…"

"You already do enough just by letting me talk with you." Riley interrupted as she gave him a weak half smile. "Especially when I call you in the early hours of the morning when I'm sure you have better things to do or you would rather be sleeping."

"I would never turn you away, I know how bad they can get, defiantly after how I saw you react back in London. It's just a shame we can't go for a run"

"You have no idea." She breathed as she shook her head gently before turning back towards him "It's been so long since I've been able to run freely. London can only provide so much green." Nick just returned her statement with a smile, a smile that was quickly removed from his lips as the pair of them looked towards the door at the ringing of a bell. "Breakfast is served."

"Well, more like an early lunch." Nick countered as he turned back around to face her. "Dad's been at the grill for the last half hour." He said again as he observed Riley's contented smile and peaceful closed eyes as she slowly got over the hold her troubled sleep had on her body. "Best hurry before Clayton eats it all, and god forbid he should miss his breakfast." Nick finished with a perceptive glint in his eyes considering he knew the companionship and support she needed when it came to Clay. Riley just grimaced as she heaved the covers towards her face and she shrieked away from the idea of facing her pack mate. The older werewolf simply moved closer to her once again, his head moving to the right as he watched Riley peaking at him from behind the duvet, the pair of them only inches apart. "Or I could just stay in bed with you all day."

"I'm sure you would love that, but I'm going to have to decline." Riley said with a fond smile, one of her hands coming clear of the quilt as she slowly pushed Nick away from her by the face, her mind not failing to recognise the stubble that pricked at the skin of her hands. "So go, run along little puppy, I need to get dressed. Go" Riley finished with a large genuine smile. Nick simply adjusted his position so he was sitting, one of his hands helping him sit as he raised his eyebrows and looked back towards her, comforted to know that she was far more relaxed in his presences than anyone else's.

"Little puppy?" Nick countered with a nod of his head.

"Yeah." Riley just smiled, beaming when she noticed him flinging his portion of her duvet from his body and spinning back around to face her once he had pulled his figure to its feet.

"You've seen the bone I can bury." He said in all seriousness, before he broke out into a smile when he noticed Riley laughing. He quickly ducked as he dodged the flying pillow that his pack mate had tossed in his direction. He lunged towards her once again as he leant over the bed and placed an affectionate kiss to her cheek before bolting from the room to give her time and space to change.


	8. Chapter Seven

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

The young Doctor could feel the refreshing late morning air swirling over her petite figure. The window was slightly ajar, wind blowing through the loose tendrils of her auburn hair as her sensitive hearing picked up on the quietness of the forest due to the bleak snow covered surroundings. She had perched herself to the dense window seat of the bedroom, the sun hidden by the dense cover of grey clouds while the trees struggled to move in the wind due to the heavy branches they were carrying. Riley simply collapsed her back further in to the wall that was supporting her, moving her arms around her legs as she hugged her knees closer to her chest as she studied the various emails detailing the updates of her patients.

The collar of her shirt was poking out from underneath the thick material of her knitted jumper as her arms were adjourned with goose pimples underneath her long sleeves as she played with the patterned edges of her sleeves. Her internal temperature was cooling as she unconsciously thought back to the number of patients she had left undiagnosed or unwell over in England.

However, she was bitterly pulled from her thoughts when her iPhone started ringing from it's position by her feet, the strong vibrating causing the phone to clatter against the cushions before Riley cautiously picked up the offending object but smiled when she noticed Sophie, her best friend from England was calling her.

"Sophie?" Riley started as she lifted her phone to her ear. "Is everything okay?"

"_Yeah, everything's fine, I just finished work so I wanted to make sure you made it there alright. I would have called earlier but I had to pull a double shift on the Cancer ward._" Sophie assured, a small tinkling laugh vibrating over the phone speaker as Riley allowed herself a small smile at her friends reply.

"I hope that wasn't my doing. I hate it when someone else has to cover for me."

"_Stop your fussing, it's about time you took some holiday, you're always covering for everybody. Besides it's not like you're waxing off in New York, you're there for your family_."

"I think there was a compliment in there somewhere." Riley joked, making sure her smile was etched into her voice.

"_I'll let you decide that one._" Sophie started, before the jiggling of keys and the tussling of the phone call made Riley realize that her friend must have just made it home and was struggling to juggle her phone, keys and bag as she moved into the mouth of her home. "So any news about your family? How are they holding up?"

"We're taking it a day as it comes, but my cousin is struggling to understand all the funeral arrangements. We're all just trying to be there for him you know." Riley voiced, a little surprised that Sophie had believed the lie she had told her employers to successfully get the time off work. It seemed, that her orphan status was not common knowledge at the hospital and Sophie and her brother Ryan knew next to nothing about her past. Just the way she liked it.

"_We're? Who else is there_?"

"Antonio and his son Nick, an old family friend." Riley started, inwardly cursing as she hoped her friend would not make the connection.

"_Nick? As in the Nick who buys you flowers_?"

"The very same." Riley mumbled as she readjusted her position and crumpled her body, grimacing as she placed her hand to her forehead as if protecting herself against Sophie's enthusiasm that would only spark a conversation that made Riley more and more uncomfortable.

"_Now I understand why you were in such a hurry to leave."_ Sophie expressed with a laugh, a laugh that grated on Riley's nerves as she flickered her eyes towards the forest in front of her window as she tried to redirect the conversation away from her inappropriate relationship with Nick that Sophie was only too happy to enthuse about.

"That's not the reason and you know it." Riley started. "Nick grew up with my cousin so why wouldn't he be here besides we both know that you read far more into mine and Nick's relationship. It is purely platonic."

"_You forget my dear Riley, that I pride myself in being your closest friend. I know you far better than anyone and I want to see you happy. Nick makes you happier than anyone else I have tried to set you up with, why wouldn't you proceed with this blossoming relationship?_" Sophie asked with a seriousness Riley very rarely heard in her voice.

"Because I'm not in love with him, even if you think otherwise." Riley lied, her heart hammering in her chest as she prayed to any god that would listen for Sophie to believe her. "Even if I learn to love him, I wouldn't jeopardize the one friendship I rely on, I can't endanger that."

"_Can't or won't?_" Sophie questioned, unknowingly causing her friend to falter as the werewolf allowed her words to cut right through to her heart. Once again Sophie had understood her emotions better than even she did. "_Sometime soon, someone's going to show you how beautiful the world can be and you will be powerless to stop him_."

"I know." Riley whispered before she heard another frantic ringing of the bell that communicated to Riley that her friend's frustration was growing at her lack of appearance at breakfast. "I'm sorry Sophie, but I've got to go so ill talk to you later."

"_Just think about what I said alright, I have your best interests at heart, you know that right_?"

"I know, speak soon. Bye."

"_Bye Riley_." Sophie finished before Riley disconnected her call, un-tucked her legs and glided towards her bedroom door.

Riley soundlessly pulled the door closed behind her as she emerged onto the landing. She could feel the frigid chill of Stonehaven seeping from the walls as she tottered down the hallways and towards the first set of stairs. However, as she rounded the large totem that was the centerpiece of the main entrance and down the final steps she balked when she noticed the unfamiliar figures of the Sheriff and his Deputy.

The young Doctor tried to descend the stairs as quietly as possibly, but due to the age of the building the usually silent staircase gave a sickening crack; the noise pulled the attention of the visiting officers to turn their focus from Clayton to her. Riley just swallowed her anxiety and greeted them with an anxious smile before flashing Clay a disconcerted expression, a look that was answered with a cold warning glare of his own. Why wasn't she surprised that Clay expected her to screw everything up?

The werewolf simply came to a firm stop as soon as she felt her feet pressing to the level wooden flooring of the foyer, her eyes sparkling with apprehension as the Sherriff and his co-worker turned to face her. Again, Riley placed a friendly façade onto her features as she took the Sherriff's offered hand and welcomed him into Stonehaven.

"You must be the young lady Mr Sorrentino and his son were meeting in town yesterday." The older gentleman voiced as his aged countenance reminded Riley of Jeffery the Shaman who she hoped had been discharged from her care.

"That's right. I'm Riley, Riley Thompson." Riley introduced, her strong British accent sounded remarkably out of place as she conversed with the Sherriff.

"Sherriff Peterson, nice to meet you." He replied kindly, as his vivid blue eyes shone with apprehension as he frantically studied the various artifacts and other rather disturbing ornaments or antiques that littered Stonehaven. Riley watched as Clayton came to stand at her side while the Deputy sauntered towards his boss, a hard glare shoved in her direction as if he suspected her. To say she squirmed under his intense glare was an understatement.

"You too." Riley replied with a sickeningly sweet smile of welcome. Clay just looked down towards her, his eyes speaking towards her; Riley just ignored him as she swept her fringe from her features and looked between the two officers in front of her.

"So are you aware of what's been happening around here the last few days?" Peterson questioned, his hands clasped by his waist while Riley took a cautious look behind her shoulder and towards the smoldering glare of Clayton before she turned back towards the police.

"Only by what Jeremy has told me. To be completely honest with you, I was a little taken aback by the news. Nothing like this really happens here at Stonehaven. Jeremy and his family are very private so how that body turned up at the edge of the property is a little disturbing." Riley voiced professionally, her false look of apprehension and concern washing to her expression as her usual callous and impassive way of talking with people would not have helped to make Jeremy, Clayton and Elena look innocent; so here came the acting skills as she paraded looks of exaggerated expressions. She was glad that the officers thought her emotions were genuine. "We just hope the animal gets caught quickly."

"We hope for that too Miss Thompson, but we're not completely sure that our coroners report was completely accurate." The Sherriff replied with a discomfited look.

"I don't understand." Riley asked with honest appearance of confusion.

"Some of our collected evidence isn't adding up so we are searching for other maybe more obscure indications that it was indeed a wolf attack."

"We're looking for a second opinion." The deputy imputed causing the two werewolves who were standing in front of them to turn their attention briefly towards him.

"I would be more than happy to help. I mean I'm a Doctor over in England, if you need another professional medical opinion I maybe able to help you." Riley inquired, not failing to notice Clay's uneasy shuffling of his feet as Riley took in the officer's surprised expression.

"I would appreciate that, thank you. We're only a small town so we need all the help we can get. May we call upon you when we are ready?"

"Of course, I should be here for the next few days as we gather, call anytime." Riley finished and took Peterson's hand again.

"Right this way Sherriff." Clayton growled as he held out his hand and guided his visitors to the living room. As Clay stalked passed her he shot her a warning glare, Riley however returned his dark expression with a defensive look of her own. She just rolled her eyes at his single mindedness; as usual Clay had missed her subtle plan.

Riley wasn't shocked to find Antonio seated at the table with a newspaper resting in his hands while his son hovered over the mouthwatering foods that covered the tabletop. The table was almost completely covered had it not been for the table settings that were resting to the sides of the table.

"Riley!" Antonio greeted as he placed his paper to the floor, got to his feet and wrapped his strong arms to his companion. Riley just smiled into his chest before he let her go and guided her towards the chair next to him.

"Are we starting or are we waiting for Jeremy?" Riley asked as she eyed the untouched platters of meat in front of her, her stomach growling which caused the two men she was sitting with to smile towards her.

"No, Jeremy told us to start without him." Nick expressed as he helped himself to a large handful of sausages that stumbled onto his plate.

"He isn't sure how long the Sherriff will be here." Antonio imputed as he too stacked his plate high with food.

"Are we even sure that they don't suspect Jeremy and the others?" Riley asked with a serious expression as she momentarily stopped her grabbing of bacon as she looked towards Antonio who glanced towards her.

"They don't have much to go by and they're only asking questions."

"But what if they search the property? We have too many skeletons buried on this property to lie."

"Jeremy won't let it get to that honey." Antonio comforted as he turned his attention towards Riley whose expression was remarkably blank as she conversed with the two of them.

"Besides they tried five years ago remember?" Nick attributed before Riley succumbed to her hunger and dug into the foods piled high onto her plate.

0-0-0

Snow was falling. The elegant snowflakes were spiraling from the dense cover of clouds before gracefully falling onto thick tree branches, outdoor wooden furniture or the grass that had disappeared under the seven inches of the white powder that had covered Stonehaven's grounds for the past week. The young Brit however was enthralled with its beauty, her eyes registering a sight she very rarely saw within the deep catacombs of London buildings, her fingers hungrily searching out for the handle of the back door, pushing it open before she emerged into the cold air.

Riley smiled when she heard the unfamiliar crunching of untouched snow compacting under her weight, her inexpensive winter boots that were a cross between Eastern chic and vintage hiking boots were almost lost within the snow if it hadn't been for her shoes climbing to the middle of her calf. The young Doctor just let out a joyous smile when the thick wool that lined her shoes helped to counteract the chilly affects the snow would have on her feet.

As she moved further into the back garden she readjusted her scarf, she tucked the material deeper around her neck and down the front of her fitted trench coat and continued to walk to the line of tree's that dominated the end of the garden. However, in the midst of her walking she could feel the freezing flakes falling on her, the young werewolf momentarily blinded by her inquisitiveness and looked towards the bleak sky. Her mind fell back to the last time she had been at Stonehaven in the winter, a time very different to the one she lived through now. Back then the Pack had been much larger, a time where Elena was still struggling with her life as a wolf and when both Peter and Logan had been around to distract Clayton from his frustrations when it concerned Elena. Riley was not surprised that whenever things did not seemed to be going smoothly with Clayton's temperamental girlfriend she got the brunt of his anger; what do you expect when the only other woman who was a female werewolf like his girlfriend was staying in the same house. Now, Nick had taken it upon himself to try and keep Riley from the firing line but as of late Riley had done little to provoke Clayton.

Nevertheless, as she stood there her mind was overcome with fond memories of tussling in the snow with Peter, Logan and the rest of her pack, taking a run in the middle of an intense snow storm before all huddling together to keep warm. Looking back, she had been far more open and more confident with the Pack; it was like she hadn't been hiding all of these conflicting emotions and what she had lived through hadn't been as troubling as the things she suffered with now. Sure, she had always been close with Nick and she considered him her closest confidant just like she did now, but these days, deep down Riley knew that she had fallen head over heels in love with him. It didn't help that she did not have the confidence to tell him, instead she suffered with all the fluttering's of her heart when he touched her, readily agreeing to come with him whenever Jeremy ordered the pair of them to do something or more than eager to help him in whatever ways she could. It had been Peter who had noticed the subtle differences in her when she was falling for him, he had also been the one she went to when she needed counsel; now she had to deal with it all on her own. How she wished Peter was here so she could tell him that Nick was always somehow involved within her troubling dreams; she knew that he would be able to provide her with a unique opinion.

"You know you've been standing here, just looking at the snow for the last five minutes right?" A voice sounded from behind her, Riley just turned to see Nick stumbling through the thick snow as he made his way towards her; Riley couldn't stop the affectionate smile from gracing her lips as Nick held his arms to his side as if to help balance.

"We don't get snow too often in Britain, I might as well enjoy it." Riley countered as soon as Nick stopped in front of her, the older werewolf grasping at the large collar of his coat as he quickly wrapped it around his neck. It also gave him the chance to study Riley as her eyes fluttered towards the picturesque forest in front of them. She was breathing through her mouth causing the wispy condensation to freeze in the air; her nose and cheeks were a flustered pink causing his eyes to flutter towards the normally unnoticeable scar that travelled from underneath her chin and towards her collarbone. The majority of the scar hidden under the scarf that Riley was snuggling closer too as she finally moved her attention back to Nick.

"Yes, well considering we see it for a potential six months a year, the novelty wears off." Nick stated as the pair of them headed towards the large irregular tree whose branches seemed to heavy for the trunk to lift. Riley just trailed her fingers over the uneven texture of the wood, noticing how the canopy had protected the branch from any intruding snowflakes; she gracefully heaved herself into a seated position as she faced Nick who had come around to face her.

"I wish we'd see more of it." Riley breathed warmly, "There's just something about snow that makes the child in me bubble to the surface. I mean everything looks so breathtakingly beautiful and quiet, you just can't help but go out and explore your surroundings that look totally different."

"I understand that." Nick said with a smile as he too gazed at the canopy above him that was vibrantly white with snow. "I've lost count how many snow fights we had here at Stonehaven when I was growing up."

"All I got was rain, and my sister's always had more important things to do than play with an eight year old who wanted to go puddle jumping." Riley explained with a genuine smile, her eyes never leaving her study of the trees while Nick moved to her side, his shoulder almost touching hers as he leant his elbow directly next to her.

"Were you much younger than your sisters?"

"Lydia was eight years older than me, so being a sixteen year old with an annoying younger sister you could kind of see why she used to hang out with her friends a lot more than her family." Riley countered as she turned her attention down towards Nick who was hanging off her every word. It was a rare occurrence for Riley to even mention her family so he wasn't about to let her stop.

"And she didn't even like the idea of puddle jumping." Nick responded with a genuine smile, relieved to hear Riley's tinkling laugh as she curled her hair around the shell of her ear.

"Not likely. Nicola used to humour me though. I think she quite enjoyed the idea of having a sister who wasn't obsessed with the cute boy down the street or a sister who would rather listen to music than talk to anyone else."

"You were eight." Nick balked, a large half smile plastered to his expression which only caused Riley to allow a far off, rather fond expression to take hold of her features.

"We didn't change much as we matured. Lydia seemed to have a new boyfriend every week while Georgina wore black, listened to heavy music and locked herself away in her room."

"And you? Were you always so…" he asked with a knowing glint sparkling in his eyes as one of his eyebrows rose from its usual position.

"So what?"

"So reserved?" He questioned and watched as Riley nodded her head in response.

"I guess so, but I was never the kind of person to fight for what I wanted. My sisters were always super confidant, always demanding they get their own way. I never wanted that, I just wanted to be loved. But when you have three other teenagers all fighting for attention at least one person gets overlooked and it's normally the quiet one."

"How can you think that?" Nick replied as he placed his warm hands over hers causing Riley to flutter her eyes to their hands before looking back to his eyes.

"My mother always blamed me for my father leaving considering he left only a couple of days after I was born. Lydia was old enough to remember our father while Nicola could only remember certain things. I guess, because I wasn't the favorite my sisters tried to pass the blame onto me, and most of the time it worked. My mother thought I was a child that was destructive, noisy, rebellious and not worth her time, when I was the complete opposite. I guess because of the tyranny I got from my sisters, my mother and my stepfather I withdrew into myself resulting in a grown woman who has little confidence, barely fights for what she wants and has a past that she hates dwelling over."

"I think you have a little more self-confidence than you're giving yourself credit for." Nick disputed, moving so he was resting his hips to the large branch while his hands were crossed over his chest. "You stand up for yourself pretty well when Clayton is a little belligerent and you come out of your shell a lot more when your comfortable with people, just like you are with me and Dad."

"Sophie said the same thing." Riley retorted with a smile, her hands tucked under her thighs as she watched Nick's smile taking hold of his lips.

"Your Doctor friend in London?" He started and smiled when he understood Riley's nod. "Well, I think me and this Sophie need to talk because we're on the same page. But I'm glad you're not on your own over in London, it must get so lonely."

"Sophie and her brother Ryan provide a very different friendship I have with you guys, besides Sophie could never help me with werewolf troubles. That's why I need Elena as much as I need you or Jeremy."

"She'll appreciate you saying that. Even though she won't say anything, she's missed you. Just as much as the rest of us have."

"I have been trying to get over here, you all know that right." Riley voiced, her eyes hard with concern as she observed Nick lifting his head and eyes so he could get a better look at her expression.

"We know, but it doesn't stop us from missing you. A lot has happened Riley and we hate the fact that you're missing so much. I just wish you could travel over to us more."

"That's a lot easier said than done." Riley countered despondently "Besides, you know why I've struggled to get out here." Riley finished, her heart hammering as she thought back to the conversation the pair of them shared half a year ago by the Thames. She knew of the massive step she had taken in revealing to Nicholas of her genuine fear, her insecure persona making her uneasy when it came to explaining her concerns due to the possibility of people judging her, or going so far as to loosing those she held close to her heart.

"I know, your shift work screws everything to hell and you've been a little apprehensive in coming back but we really need you here." Nick replied, his confusion evident as his mannerisms suddenly changed into one of comfort.

"You really don't." Riley said with a snort of disdain.

"And then as soon as anyone tries so get close to you or make things right you just shut them out. I know Riley, because you do it with me all the time." Nick countered, moving so he could get a better look at her. His eyes boring deeply into her silver eyes as he slowly brushed her side fringe from her face so he could get a better look at her expression.

"Yeah well, I shut everybody out. Don't take it personally. It's just easier." Riley retorted with a shrug of her shoulder as she tried to look away from Nick who was making it increasingly difficult.

"It's a sure fine way of making sure you don't get hurt but it's also really lonely." Nick replied as he moved his lips to the side in a sorrowful manner. Riley just looked down towards her lap before fluttering her eyes up to his. "I want you to be able to trust me, to talk to me and not hide away."

"I'm so much closer to you than anyone Nicky, you have to believe me." Riley urged, her eyes were wide with panic as she forced Nick to understand her statement.

"I know, but no one here is out to get you. We just want you to be happy." Nick expressed and was astounded by Riley's actions as she lifted one of her hands and gently cupped his cheek.

"Right now, right here, I'm the happiest I've ever been." She responded. Nick took a cautious step forward, his eyes inquisitively searching hers and continued to lean forward. But before he was able to reply or retaliate to his actions two perfectly formed and faultlessly thrown snowballs collided with both Nick and Riley.

Before either of them could even comprehend what had just happened Clay propelled his figure from the clearing, his bulky shoulders contacting with Nick around the middle as the Pack's bodyguard rugby tackled the graphic designer to the snowy floor. Riley couldn't stop the laugh from falling out of her lips as she continued to watch Nick recover from his attack and progressed to tussle with the man who was his childhood friend. But, she couldn't relax as another snowball was flung in her direction; the youngest werewolf was able to counteract the attack and flipped from the branch, landing elegantly on her feet as Elena came bursting from the undergrowth. Riley simply curled her gloved hands around a handful of snow and crunched it together before she too flung a snowball towards her female companion who was hit directly in the stomach.

Snowballs flew, people tussled in the snow, the sound of laughter radiated around the grounds of the ancient building, but as Riley slowly recovered from a snowball that had been thrown by Clayton she couldn't help but laugh as she felt a large clump of snow sticking to her hair. Clay shot her a very rare smile in her direction before his wife distracted him. Riley however could see that Nick was struggling with his boot and so an idea came to mind. She slowly ducked to the floor, scooped up a handful of snow before she snuck behind Nick's couched form. With all the stealth of a jaguar she pounced on her pack-mate and progressed in her attack. When Nicky finally realised what Riley had planned he quickly tried to get out of her grip, but considering her small petite size Riley's ability to contort her body to wrap around his back meant he was unable to get away. He couldn't help but laugh with her as he felt the cold snow that she had shoved down his shirt, melting and causing him to shiver.

Nevertheless, he couldn't help but smile and laugh along with her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her knees effortlessly clapped to his middle as she continued to cling onto him. Nick in return lifted his own arms and held her knees as he secured her to his back in a much warranted piggyback. He turned his face back to look at her as she rested the side of her head with his and his heart trembled within his chest when he felt her soft lips pressing to his cheek.

0-0-0

He sat within the walls of his studio, listening to the silence of the uninhabited rooms. Antonio was finishing up his duties in the kitchen while the other four had all excused themselves or busied themselves with other distractions. He had hoped to sit in front of a canvas to order his frantic thoughts; instead he sat their nervously contemplating what may conspire in the next few days, weeks or months. It was moments like this when he wished he did not have the intense volume of responsibility when it came to being Alpha, after all his decisions effected five other people and they ultimately entrusted their lives to him. That was why they had lost two members of their pack five years ago.

However, a deep frown engulfed his usually composed expression when a lurid hooting of laughter washed to ears, removing his attention from his sketching considering it had been a very long time since he had heard such an intense and joyous laugh. When it was just the three of them it was very rare to hear such jubilant laughter. Sure Clay and Elena provided a great range of different emotions, whether that be laughter or voices raised in anger but Stonehaven's atmosphere always changed when the whole of the Pack was under one roof. The building shook with every pounding footstep, every barrel through a doorway, every tinkling laugh, noises so loud he could still hear it in the walls when they were gone.

But right now, as he shuffled towards the large window that overlooked the hefty back garden, what he saw made his heart swell with adoration. All four of the younger members of his Pack, even though most of them were in there forties, were all enjoying the snow like a group of eight year-olds who had never seen the white powder before. An uncommon smile washed to his lips as he watched Nick and Clay wrestling like they did when they were boys, or Elena and Riley finally completing a very childlike snowman.

As he kept watching he regretfully removed his gaze from his son and Elena, his eyes sweeping to Riley's euphoric expression as she clung onto a withering Nick who was struggling to remove a clump of ice that Riley had shoved down the back of his shirt. His smile only widened when he watched Riley pressing an affectionate kiss to his cheek as he carried her.

"It's been so long since they've been able to be just the pack." Antonio voiced as he pulled Jeremy's attention from the four werewolves and towards his old friend.

"We always get to distracted by the situation at hand, I don't blame them for wanting to blow off steam." Jeremy stated as he drew his attention towards Nick and Riley who were slowly moving towards Clay and Elena before turning back towards Antonio.

"But we need Riley focused, she's been too distracted the last couple of days."

"She's been having a rough time these last few months, I just want her to feel at home, we can't afford to alienate her more than she already is." Jeremy said as he gazed at Antonio. His old friend just shot his alpha a fond smile and looked towards his feet.

"And when this thing is all over, Riley will leave again." He stated, his footsteps clanking against the wooden floor as he moved to Jeremy's side, his own eyes taking in the happy expression of his son and the woman who had each of them talking.

"We all want her back. The best way of bringing her back is just giving her a chance to remember that this is her home." Jeremy urged as he pursed his lips.

"Well, we can only hope that the good here outweighs the bad." Jeremy expressed before he turned towards his ringing phone and frowned when he noticed the caller ID.


	9. Chapter Eight

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

As Nick watched the stream of moonlight that was reflecting off the wooden paneled flooring he had a reflection of his own; Karl Marsten and the rest of the world really needed to mind his or it's own business. Sure people's natural curiosities had led to outstanding and remarkable discoveries when it came to scientific elements and the medical marvels around today; but deep within their hearts, they didn't understand how the constant interference could sometimes have disastrous effects. That had been why the Pack had to destroy Daniel Santos and his minions no more than five years ago; it was his anger and his meddling of the Pack rules that had ultimately led to his death.

It aggravated and confused him at the same time. He just wished the mutts of his race would willingly stay out of the Pack's way, to just get on with their nomadic lifestyle and leave them well enough alone. But considering he knew how difficult it was to control urges, to reel in his emotions and use his instincts he was surprised that he wasn't recalled back to Stonehaven every week to face another set of problems. It was this reason why he got so angry over peoples desire to seek revenge on enemies. He had seen it many times over the years with Santo's being the main perpetrator. However, as he thought back to his own life, many times dates or hook ups with the many women he had seduced had ended in catfights or explosive arguments when ex-lovers met with the woman who had replaced them. It seemed even humans had the uncanny ability to interfere or force themselves into different people's lives.

But, times had changed for Nicky and as he readjusted his tie against his expensive suit he was seriously considering Riley's offer to vacation on an island that was off the grid so no one could bother either of them; he had to admit, he rather liked the idea of being isolated on a tropical island with just Riley for company.

The foyer of Stonehaven was empty as his smart classy suit shoes clicked against the wooden floor, the werewolf absentmindedly playing with the buttons of his suit blazer as he continued to observe the moonlight. The air was cool as the winter chill propelled through one of the open windows in the living room, the wind bellowing through the curtains and circled the beautiful smell of burning wood throughout the house. Stonehaven was normally bursting with loud conversations and exclamations of love, but as he stood on his own, his home was unnervingly silent. In the quiet, his sensitive hearing could pick up on the crackling firewood, the tapping of computer keyboard keys and the mumblings of Clay and Elena who had taken it upon themselves to look at the Pack records. Nevertheless, he was abruptly pulled from his daydream when a voice called from behind him.

"I still don't understand why we're the ones who have to meet with him." Riley's gentle voice uttered as her high heels clinked against the wooden stairs as she sauntered towards him. The older werewolf couldn't stop his mouth from hanging open as he took in Riley's apparel; the graphic designer reveling in the opportunity to see her dressed up for the night considering she favored jeans and a comfortable t-shirt. Her black cocktail dress clung onto her curvy figure and travelled down to the middle of her thighs. Her shoulders were distinctively noticeable due to the elegant shoulder pads that enhanced the shape of Riley's physique and the overall beauty of the dress. Nick could only smile towards her as he watched her pulling on a black cardigan that would help to defend her against the cold.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Nick replied as he took a few steps towards her and took her phone from her hand. She just smiled her thanks when she watched him tucking the device into his inside pocket. "But then again, when he meets the Pack he tends to bring out our bad sides."

"Don't forget his uncanny ability to flirt with Elena." Riley expressed as she and Nick headed towards the rail of coats that were hanging by the large grandfather clock.

"Which puts Clayton in a very bad mood." Nick voiced as he grabbed Riley's trench coat and continued to help the petite Doctor into it. "Who is none to happy with you I might add." Nick finished as he straightened out the material on her shoulders and smiled down towards the young woman who was holding a confused expression.

"What the hell have I done wrong now?" Riley intoned as she distractedly went about straightening out and buttoning her coat. Nick in turn turned away from the redhead and heaved his arms through the sleeves of his own coat.

"He's pretty pissed that you readily volunteered your services to the Sheriff concerning the autopsy of the murdered girl."

"I was trying to help." Riley said through gritted teeth and moved her eyes back to Nick before timidly running her hands through her thick side fringe. "I thought if I got a look at the body I would be able to give a medical diagnosis to see if it was a wolf or a human kill. I could also get a closer look to see if the creature that attacked me conducted it. You never know, I may have been able to shift the investigation away from Jeremy and the others.

"It was a good idea and an idea I will take advantage off." Jeremy pronounced as he strolled from the depths of the house, an apple in hand.

"But if Clayton is angry I don't want to…"

"Ignore Clay." Jeremy interrupted. "It wasn't his place to judge you for your actions, and defiantly not when you did it for the good of the pack." Jeremy finished as he came to stand in front of the two of them. Riley just looked behind her shoulder and up towards Nick who just gave her a comforting smile.

"He's only doing what he believes to be right." Riley said softly.

"Which is fine, but he gets blinded by his protectiveness and fails to see how siding with the Sherriff and his men may be a good thing. But, that is a conversation for another night, tonight I need you to talk with Marsten, to see just what information he is offering and see whether he wants to join us in this battle. When you have all the information give us a call and we shall take it from there." Jeremy ordered, his hard eyes looking between his two delta wolves that simply nodded at their orders before headed into the snowy surroundings of the night.

0-0-0

They had come to the start of their investigation, but neither of them seemed thrilled by that sentiment. Instead they tried to talk of other matters such as Nick's new business venture that his Father had wholeheartedly established and given Nick the reigns in designing, constructing and running; they talked about her patients and the rather imprudent Doctors that refused to converse with her while Riley outwardly enthused about Sophie and her brother Ryan's friendship that kept her sane while she was living in London.

It seemed they did not want to speak of what weighed on both their minds, although Riley could hear it in Nick's voice, and in her own as well, so flat, so subdued and for once she really could blame it on tiredness due to her difficult nightmares. Both of them were struggling to comprehend the enormity of the situation, each of them fraught with worries about the unidentified creature, the message so blatantly left for Riley and the impending Police investigation into the Danvers family.

Riley looked out the window at the cars splashing through the downpour, allowing time with her thoughts. She knew what she needed to do when she reached Nick's club; she knew that Karl Marsten was going to be anything but difficult and from the phone call Jeremy had received it seemed he might have come into some information concerning the creature that were their biggest concern. How he happened to have this information she didn't know. It was surprising considering he was technically a Pack member now, but each time she prepared herself to converse with the man her body trembled with anxiety, a fear that could never be shown in front of him; if on the wrong side he possessed too much of a threat and Riley dreaded to think about those possibilities.

"You're very quiet." Nick said. "Is something bothering you?"

"I'm fine." Riley expressed as she shrugged her shoulders with and a smile. "Just got a little on my mind."

"My dear Riley, I find that thoughts that render you silent always tend to mean you're anything but fine." Nick said with a smile, his face momentarily turning towards her before he moved his eyes back to the snowy road.

"And that makes me feel so much better."

"Oh come on, you know what I mean."

"I know, but we're all struggling with different things, I don't want to burden you with mine."

"Riley, I want you to talk to me, I want to be able to be there for you." Riley ventured a look at him; the gloom of the car could not hide the comforting lines of his expression and the smile of adulation that took hold of his lips as he turned his brown eyes towards her.

"Do you think I could do it?" She said, "Find this creature, kill it and then deal with the repercussions of its murder?" He passed her a comforting glance as he removed his right hand from the steering wheel and lovingly encased her hand with his large one.

"I know you can do anything you put your mind too. I have no doubt that when the time comes you will make the right decision and the Pack will stand right beside you." The young werewolf simply rested her hand to his forearm as she leant over and placed a delicate kiss to his cheek, Nick fluttering his eyes momentarily before he turned his attention back to the road.

Nick swiftly pulled up behind an expensive Porsche that was parked neatly on the driveway. For a moment they simply sat without looking at each other before Riley turned her focus to her companion. Nick was squinting through the dark windows as if searching for an unseen foe that may have been stalking them like a lioness would her prey. It seemed he had come to the conclusion that no one was going to potentially ambush them and he heaved at the car door handle.

The street was suffering with incessant activity as Riley continued to get a better look at the building Nick had acquired to act as one of the bars involved within his and Antonio's building project. The architecture was simple but provided a great sense of sophistication due to the large planters that stood high next to the main entrance and under the windows. A smile engulfed her lips as her eyes fluttered towards the beautiful wave like circles of light shining behind the main door; Riley had no doubt that the light circles had been Nick's idea.

Nevertheless, before she could curl even a finger around the handle of her car door Nick was graciously holding the door for her. The young Doctor thanked him as she slowly withdrew from the vehicle and gave a curious gaze down towards Nick's offered arm; she beamed up towards him before hooking her arm through his and allowed him to guide her towards the bar.

"So is this the place you were telling me about while you were staying in London?" Riley questioned with a smile as she looked up towards him. It was no secret that while Nicholas was in London to aid in his Father's business that he had been staying with her to lower the cost of his trip. But, while he was staying Riley had taken him to a variety of different iconic landmarks of London, one of them being the Thames River. That was the night that was burned forever in her memory as the pair of them had spoken secrets, desires and their most troubling emotions and predicaments that had seen them talking into the early hours of the morning. It was also the one night that had seen her finally confirm exactly how she felt towards her old friend.

"Yeah, I thought it was about time I showed you considering I've been bouncing ideas off you for the last couple of months." Nick explained with a smile as they weaved through the think traffic of humans and headed towards the back entrance.

"You feeling more confident about the whole thing now considering the other two bars have done so well?"

"I have to admit it's all still a little surreal. This is the first project that I created, drew up and presented to my father that's worked." Nick responded "But yes, I guess I'm a little more comfortable with the idea now that everything seems to be doing okay." Nick finished a gentle smile on his lips as he looked down towards Riley who was holding her own smile. Riley could still remember the way she gaped at him as he said his words of doubt. She could remember thinking that Nicholas Sorrentino, one of the biggest womanizers on the planet was openly admitting to her of his unease at his Father's instructions and doubted his own confidence. Normally he exhumed self-assurance, with charming pick-up lines or seductive proposals but back then, he had behaved so much differently while he was in her company.

"Antonio must be overjoyed that you're finally taking a more active role within the company." Riley started "And he gets to see you more often."

"I guess you're right." Nick voiced as he pushed open the heavy back door and held it out for her. Riley gave him her thanks before heading into the dark corridors of the bar before waiting for Nicky who quickly grasped hold of her arm once again before guiding the pair of them through the corridors. "I wanted to show you the club, so I thought I'd have Marsten meet us here." He expressed, as the bland white washed walls of the back corridors were unable to keep in the heat of the building resulting in the biting chill from outside was slowly creeping into the bar.

"Fair enough, but I would have seen this place before I left." Riley expressed with a cheeky smile as Nick once again readjusted his hold on her arm and redirected them down another corridor and through a large grated gate.

"That's not the point." Nick countered with an eyebrows raised look. "Besides, I know how Marsten reacts to you. You're going to need your breathing space." Nick finished, moving in front of her so he could grasp both of her hands and started walking backwards as they moved through the large doorway and into a large living space.

Riley couldn't stop the smile from engulfing her features as she noticed the first details of the nightclub. On the ceiling effectual LED lights were dotted across the roof as if imitating the starry night sky while comfortable cushioned booths were inbuilt to the side of a lowered open space that she knew to be the 'dancing' area. Nevertheless, as her eyes continued to take in the bright colours and the nice layout, the large scaffolding levels and the plastic tarp that was hanging all over the place made Riley realize just how much work still needed to be done.

"So? Medical opinion?" Nick questioned with a joking smile.

"Medical opin…." Riley smiled, her words trailing off as she spun back around to Nick who was intensely studying his young companion who could not keep the awe from sparkling in her face as she looked around the club. "You don't need any medical opinions this place looks great."

"Thank you." Nick expressed with a smile before he recognized Riley's frown and spun around to see his assistant heading towards them.

Riley knew some girls looked pretty in dresses. Some girls held the air of a professional and confident woman and still look charming and feminine. So as Riley observed the woman in front of her why did she feel like she wasn't one of those girls? She had stood in her Stonehaven bedroom, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror and thought; how the hell does someone parade with confidence in this thing, and now, as she watched the beautiful woman gaining on Nicky all of those troubling thoughts engulfed her once again.

The soft material of her dress was unable to stop the biting chill of the building, her internal temperature cooling in the freezing air as she wrapped the loose tendrils of her hair around the outer shell of her ear. Her mind suddenly elsewhere as she thought back to the troubling situation she was caught up in and now she was about to face a werewolf who made her uneasy and destructively angry at the same time. For the last five years Marsten had an uneasy peace with the Pack and the pleasure he got at her families anger only fueled their dislike for the man; and it was in these five years that she had really formed an opinion about him.

She struggled to keep her emotions hidden when she spoke with him and she struggled to deal with the incessant teasing of Marsten. Her pack were getting more and more frustrated with her lack of emotional outbursts as he mocked her, her family demanding she stand up for herself unknowing that Riley had spent years of her life suffering with the bullying of others and she really did not care for what Karl had to say or said to her.

However, both Riley and Nick knew that Jeremy was entrusting them with an important job considering Karl possibly held some vital information concerning the enemy in which they were facing. It was times like these when the pair of them felt Jeremy's close eye on them, monitory their progress; he knew that they would try their best, and most of the time it paid off, but when Clayton constantly second guessed his alpha in sending a pacifist Doctor against an egotistical felon it was Riley who really doubted Jeremy's strategy.

But, as she continued to stand there, watching the young woman who was talking with her companion give arbitrating gazes she could not stop her mind from falling back to her own life. Karl constantly harassed her about her lack of a personal life. Sure, she hadn't had an intimate relationship in a good four years, and many of her university friends had married in large ceremonies and most of them were preparing to become parents for the first or even the second time. But, when you lived for as long as a werewolf, Riley did not feel the urgency to find her mate and have a litter of pups; after all her body was the age of a twenty-three year old. Karl however, did not care in belittling her lack of a family, her chosen career, her unjustified fear of flying and any other thing he could think of.

A large, warm but very soothing hand encased the shape of her shoulder that finally managed to pull the Doctor from her reprieve, causing Riley to look up towards Nick who had nothing but concern shining deeply in his brown eyes as he tried to introduce her to his friend.

"Riley, this is Penny. Penny, I'd like to introduce you to my old friend." Nick voiced gently, his comfort vibrating within the tone of his voice as he slowly guided Riley to the elegant woman who cautiously looked at Riley's outstretched hand.

"It's nice to meet you." Riley voiced as she forced a smile to her lips, her stomach churning like the ocean during a thunderstorm.

"Pleasure." She replied with an apathetic look, looking at Riley's hand and refusing to shake it. Riley just gazed up at Nick whose eyes were hard with annoyance as he unclipped his coat and shrugged it off his shoulders. "But Nicky, I wasn't expecting you. The carpenters won't be here for another week."

"That's alright, I've just got some business to attend to. So if you'll excuse us, we'll settle down for a drink." Nick answered before his hand curled around Riley's arm and dragged her towards the bar and inviting her to sit on the bar stall as he made her favorite drink from memory. "You have to ignore Penny, she's still a little sour that I turned down her offer of dinner."

"You turned her down? Surely she's just your type?"

"Normally I would have said yes, but I don't sleep with people working for me."

"That's new." Riley laughed, her smile growing even wider as she took in Nick's expression a look that quickly morphed into a smile of his own.

Half an hour must have passed, the pair of them enjoying a drink before Nick faltered in his drinking and his face-hardened. Riley's heart dropped within her chest as she realized who must have walked through the door. The young Doctor gave a cautious glance behind her shoulder and sure enough, Karl Marsten had arrived. His dark hair and sharp features did nothing to dull his piercing eyes as he admired his surroundings. With his pressed pants, linen shirt, Italian loafers, faint tan and manicured fingernails he looked like an action hero, idling on the sidelines while his stunt double worked up a sweat for him. But, Riley knew him better and those expensive cloths did little to hide his powerful build. She hated to admit it but he reminded her of Nick; a version of Nick who had not had the peaceful and happy upbringing of a Pack wolf.

"Looks like it's time to rock and roll." Nick mumbled as he stepped from his stall and towards Marsten whose sensitive eyesight took in Nick's immaculate form heading towards him.

"I was wondering who Jeremy might have sent. I was rather hoping Elena would be here to greet me." Karl said with a sickening smile as Nick came to a firm stop in front of him.

"Well, you'll just have to make do with me." Nick replied as he placed his hands to his hips, the lapels of his grey blazer lying over his arms as his brown eyes gazed intently into his.

"Oh come now, we both know that you didn't come alone." Karl charmed with a smirk, lifted the back of his hand and placed it to Nicks shoulder as he scouted passed him and headed towards Riley who was still seated at the bar. "And there she is, the snow queen herself." Marsten mocked with a showman's air spiraling around him. Riley just rolled her eyes as she looked between her elders. Nick just shot her an apologetic look, a look she just waved away. "At least crack me a smile."

"When you've deserved one I might consider it." Riley stated her expression hard and her voice emotionless as she coolly turned to face him, her face never turned from his as she made sure to never give him the satisfaction of an emotional response.

"Still an emotional retard I see." Marsten mocked as he fluttered his eyes towards Nick who was standing extremely close to Riley's back; so close that he was momentarily distracted by her intoxicating scent that lifted to his nose. Riley however glanced over her shoulder towards her companion who shared her unease as Marsten sat to the edge of the bar stall.

"Yes, well at least I don't have to terrorize a woman to make myself feel like a man." Riley retorted as she rolled her eyes from Nick towards Karl as if bored with his continuous insults. Nick couldn't prevent the smirk from engulfing his lips.

"Huh…" Was all Karl could muster before he clasped his hands together and stared intently towards Riley whose expression was still emotionless but held a quality of 'don't you even think about messing with me.' "It seems, for the first time, you've rendered me speechless."

"Then you have finished with the unnecessary harassment and you can tell us what we want to know." Riley voiced with a no nonsense tone. Nick balked at Riley's sudden confidence. For the first time since he had known her Riley was standing up for herself, she was taking none of Karl's nonsense, she was exhuming a strength she very rarely showed with someone she didn't completely trust. She never showed it in front of Clayton and all he felt was pride and adoration for her as she stood up to her tormentor.

"Straight to the point. Jeremy always said that about you"

"Then you know I care little for small talk."

"I would take her word for it." Nick interrupted, his hand resting on his hip while his other hand was resting to the corner of his bar.

"Very well." He uttered as Penny, who had momentarily been forgotten passed Marsten a drink before Nick dismissed her for the evening and turned his attention towards his untrusting pack mate.

"So why did you call Jeremy?" Riley questioned as she crossed her legs, the hem of her dress riding up her thigh and she couldn't help but inwardly smile when she noticed Karl fluttering his eyes towards her. It's a good thing it was her and Nicky because if he was talking with Clayton and Elena, he wouldn't have any eyes left.

"I came into contact with some sensitive information concerning the deaths of several different individuals in a variety of countries." Karl exhumed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his expensive cigars.

"You mean this isn't the only killing by this creature?" Nick questioned as he shared Riley's troubled look.

"That's what I'm saying. It also gets around considering people have been found in seven different countries."

"How can you be sure there is only one creature? For all we know there could be hundreds of them" Riley inputted as she blinked away Karl's exhaled smoke.

"Then I want to know where they've been hiding. As it is the Pack barely managed to keep their existence from the Supernatural Council for a few hundred years and now, since Jeremy has been alpha we're sitting comfortably as one of the more extinguished races."

"What has this got to do with anything?" Riley grumbled as she momentarily fluttered her eyes away from Karl and then back to him, the older werewolf grating on her nerves when she took in his smug smile.

"All I'm saying is that it's difficult to hide a race with large numbers. Especially now considering only a few people have come into contact with them and survived."

"Do you have any idea who or what we're dealing with?" Nick voiced as he pulled Marsten's attention towards him.

"I've not heard much from my old mutt associates, but rumors are spreading of a bat like creature with dragon horns and talons like a Dinosaur." Karl explained. Nick simply placed his hand to the bottom of Riley's back as he tried to provide her the comfort that she required. She was trying her damned hardest not to falter and show her weaknesses in front of Karl who was scrutinizing her intently. She had far too much practice in keeping her emotions hidden.

"I've faced a creature like the one you are describing. I've been tracking one all over England for the last few years but the most recent contact I've had with it was a few months ago. Long before any of the incidences in Bear Valley has occurred."

"So you're not denying that you were clawed by this thing?" Karl questioned as he narrowed his eyes in her direction. Riley herself just readjusted her position as she narrowed her eyes, struggling to read the werewolf in front of her as she tried to judge his question as a loaded one.

"What are you implying?"

"You are one of, if not the only individual who has been attacked by this unidentified supernatural. You've been tracking it for years, you know its methods in fighting and fleeing and you know its weaknesses. Maybe it's searching the planet for you."

"We don't know that." Nick interrupted. "This thing could have just found a look alike living in Bear Valley."

"Marsten has a point Nick." Riley interjected as she ignored his surprise and Karl's knowing expression. "The woman that was left near our property holds certain physical traits as me, and what's the betting that the other victims look very much like me?"

"You would be correct." Marsten answered. "Each of them were also a Supernatural. A couple of them were witches, while a Shaman, Clairvoyant and a Necromancer were also killed."

"So this thing is coming after Riley?" Nick questioned with a seriousness that did not suit him.

"It could be." Marsten smiled as he breathed in the smoke of his cigar.

"But we can't be sure?" Nick stated quickly again.

"Are we ever sure of anything?" Karl started as he replaced the glass to the bar top. "But what we know is that this thing is going after people looking like Riley, each of them non-human and all I can assume is that this thing won't stop until it's dead. From the evidence it's sure as hell coming after you, and it is coming for it's revenge."


	10. Chapter Nine

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Clayton roared. To Riley everything happened so fast; only a moment before Clayton was calm and uninterested, his features impassive and his concerns elsewhere. But now, the dark fury of the pack's bodyguard was unleashed. His teeth were bared, his eyes were dark and his tall bulky frame was looming over the obstinate woman who was assertively standing her ground. Riley could see the intense emotions that were flying over Clayton's body as he loomed over her petite frame, his profound acrimony visibly vibrating over his form. Nevertheless, with her quick reflexes and depleted of any judicious and rational thoughts Riley quickly flung herself in between Clayton and Karl whose smug look was not helping Riley to prove her point.

The Doctor could feel the strong contours of Clay's chest, his muscles shining underneath the palm of her hand that was resting over his beating heart, pushing him away from the vexatious man who was being held back by Riley's surprising strength. Riley could feel the trenchant gazes of the men standing behind him, their eyes curving over the naked section of her shoulder, taking in the tip of her grotesque scar that littered her skin.

"Clayton, calm down, you don't understand." Riley soothed, shoving her head to look behind her as she pointed a sullen gaze directly towards Nick who was standing protectively behind the newest member of their pack, his mouth curled into a smile as his attention was somewhat caught to Clay's rage. "I did this for the good of the Pack."

"The good of the Pack?" Clay snarled, his voice hoarse with animalistic rage as he continued to glare down towards the werewolf, assessing the strong enhanced hold she had against him. Riley just moved her sharp grey eyes to look at him before she once again turned her attention towards Nick whose own anxiety was simmering within his eyes.

"Just calm down and think about this. He could provide us with the information we have missing and we need his extra strength." Riley expressed with the authority of a woman who ordered a group of people when it came to treating a patient.

"It should be you doing the thinking. Marsten can't be trusted; how do you know that he won't throttle us in our sleep!" Clayton bellowed, irritation emanating within the confines of his statement as he watched Riley taking a cautious step away from him, the deep purple circles gleaming against the smooth skin of her face as she gazed up towards him.

"You will just have to trust me; give him a chance, the same chance that you gave me." Riley voiced, trying to defend her decision.

"But that's different."

"Is it? I was a Mutt, the same as Karl. I was difficult to tame when it came to changing and controlling my wolf, while he got himself mixed up amongst the wrong crowd." Riley said with a small smile as she looked up towards Clayton, watching his hands curl into tight fists as he struggled to reign in his anger.

"If he puts one step out of line or even thinks about Elena, it will be your head." Clay threatened and he loomed over Riley who refused to back down and give Clayton more power over her.

"I understand." Riley agreed, giving him a small nod as her Packmate continued to glare at her before he muttered under his breath and grumbled his way out of the room. Marsten however noticed Jeremy standing in the doorway and headed towards his Alpha while Nick meandered towards Riley who refused to turn around. When she felt Nick's hand against her bare shoulder she twisted so she could get a better look at him and his reassuring smile. "Well, that coulda been worst." Riley finished as she released the air she had been holding within her lungs.

"But now you have no way of stopping Clay from being pissed off with you." Nick countered as he slowly guided the pair of them into the living room.

"What's a girl to do?" Riley stated as she shrugged her shoulder and rested a smile to her lips, Nick just responded to her statement with a genuine laugh.

o-o-o

To say Elena was fuming was an understatement. Clay had barged down the stairs refusing to listen to reason, stomped right up to Riley and demand she rethink her actions. Elena wasn't surprised when the young werewolf had stood her ground, countered Clay's angry statements with her own calm and rational ideals that she had to force onto Elena's husband. Why Clay had the need to shout at her when she was only following Jeremy's order she didn't know, but as she clomped away from her fuming lover she was searching for one person. She was looking for Riley.

She was about ready to give up when she almost jogged towards the last room she had to search, and as she drove her way through the tight corridors of her home, across the foyer and through the large archway that led to the main living room did she falter in her searching.

Riley was quite happily sitting on the largest of the three leather sofas that were positioned around a coffee table. Her long, coiling ginger hair was pulled into a low pony tail, her loose curls falling around her face and down her chest as she rested her shoe cladded feet to the wooden table. However, what melted her heart was the way her fingers absentmindedly played with Nick's short brown hair as he quite contentedly slept with his head in her lap. His hand was fanned across her right thigh while his head was resting against her stomach, the rest of his figure draped across the vacant seats, obviously tiring from Riley's reading.

"There you are, I've been looking all over." Elena breathed, her voice low as to not disturb Nick. Riley just lifted her eyes from her book, a little startled by Elena's sudden intrusion but as the taller woman curled herself into the chair opposite Riley's expression turned into one of welcoming happiness.

"We've been here since we got back." Riley replied, her own voice quiet as she lifted her hand to motion to Nicholas's dozing form, her warm hand moving to rest to the middle of his shoulders as she closed her book and once again ran her fingers through her hair to move her wavy locks from her face.

"I can see that." Elena smiled, struggling to hide her thoughts as she recognised the contentment that was etched to Nick's features that were hidden from Riley's view. Numerous occasions Elena had discussed with Nick his conflicted emotions concerning Riley, she had also defended her young friend when it concerned her affections. It seemed Nick doubted Riley and how she truly felt, but considering her timid and shy temperament was one of the only things she showed to the real world and the people she wasn't totally comfortable with, Elena knew why. But as she observed how open and how relaxed she was being as she sat within Stonehaven's walls, with a man Elena knew she was in love with, sleeping on her lap; how could Riley and Nick be so blind to each others affections.

"I guess I wanted to see how you were after Clay ripped you a new one." Elena replied as soon as she pulled her attention from Nick and back to Riley.

"Ha, I'm alright, I learnt long ago to not let Clay bother me." Riley said with a small chuckle, her free hand finding Nick's hair once again as she felt him stirring underneath her hands, the older werewolf readjusting his position as Riley fluttered her eyes towards Elena.

"Good, sometimes he just gets so angry he forgets who he's talking too and what he's fighting for."

"I know, which is why I take the blame. We've never seen eye to eye, so after fourteen years there is really no point in trying to change that."

"Must be hard, considering he's so volatile."

"I have nothing against him, I respect him." Riley started with a sincerity that blew Elena away. "In my own messed up way I guess I kinda love him like a brother. It's weird I know, but I guess if he ever needed me or if I ever needed him I know we would jump at the opportunity." Riley finished with a smile.

"But how can you feel that way when he shows you nothing but ignorance" Elena questioned as she crossed her legs at the knee and rested her clasped hands to her lap. Riley just allowed a small smile to engulf her lips as her eyes drifted back towards Nick again as if trying to come up with a coherent answer.

"I guess it's because I never expect much when I visit Stonehaven. I mean, you and Nick are my closest friends and allies and when I'm here I show a little more of whom I really am. But who am I kidding when I say that I don't think about what my life would be like if I wasn't tied to this place. I mean, Josh and Charlie are fantastic when it comes to policing the mutts over in England and part of me wishes that maybe I should stand down as the Pack liaison and just fall into obscurity." Riley answered, her voice confident, her expression heartfelt and voided of all dejection and melancholy as if she was granting Elena a snippet of the true Riley, a woman who was comfortable with who and what she was, a young Doctor who was running her ideas through a friend who could give an honest opinion and a young lady who knew that her life was only just beginning.

"I didn't realize you felt so strongly about this." Elena uttered. "I mean, I know you're very reserved but the last day or so since you've been here you've been different. Don't get me wrong it's a good different because you seem more sure of yourself, more assertive in your ideas when normally you would shriek back into the shadows and let everyone else take charge."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Where have all these thoughts come from? Have they been unearthed during your year away? Did your separation from the pack help put everything into perspective?"

"I don't know. Just look at me Elena." Riley urged, her eyes frantic with emotion as she forced her best friend to really look at her, for her eyes to penetrate the layers of barriers she had put in place to protect her so Elena could finally see her for who she was. "I'm not tall and strong like Clay and Antonio, I can't track like you, hell I can barely go it alone without getting lost. I'm not like you guys; I don't have the strength that most werewolves have. I'm a Doctor not a murderer, I find my strength in books so why should I keep pretending that the Pack needs me when I provide so little in terms of usefulness." Riley voiced, her hands still as they rested to Nick's shoulders, her eyes swimming with emotion as she confidently conveyed her worries to Elena who was momentarily stunned into silence as she tried to comprehend everything she had just heard.

Elena knew how it felt, had been through it herself. And now it was her turn to try and convince Riley the same way the young Doctor had for her seven years ago. Elena had struggled to comprehend the enormity of her new world; there had been so much for her to take in as she struggled to regulate her changes and control her instincts. She had wrestled with her emotions concerning Clay and she had felt so isolated and alone until Jeremy invited, more like begged Riley to come to Stonehaven and as soon as Riley had met her, had started talking to her that was when Elena had finally started coming around to the idea. Why Riley felt so worthless Elena couldn't understand because during that time she had relied on Riley's comfort, her friendship and her compassion, providing her with a woman's touch when she had been overwhelmed in a man's world.

But, just as Elena was to say something the sound of crunching snow on the driveway vibrated to their sensitive ears. Elena turned in her seat as she fluttered her attention to the door before looking back towards Riley who was holding a confused look of her own. As Elena was getting to her feet Riley waved away her concern when she noticed Jeremy calmly heading towards the door while Karl and Antonio joined them in the living room.

Elena just replaced her form in the chair as she lifted her eyes towards Antonio who was looking down at her from his perch on the armrest while Karl's gaze was trained directly to Riley. When her grey orbs connected with his, his smile only widened when he took in Nick's sleeping form. Riley just glowered over at him before curling her fringe around her ear and gently shook Nicks slumbering figure.

"Nicky." She said gently as she tenderly pushed at his shoulders "Hey, time to wake up." Riley uttered softly again as she felt Nick stirring. His chest and his shoulders increased in size as he heaved in a hefty volume of air into his lungs before the older werewolf fluttered his eyes open to see the crowd that had joined them. Riley was not surprised to see his confusion and as he wearily removed his hand from Riley's thigh and to the cushion just next to her, his eyes shot her a question as he moved into a seated position.

"What's going on?" He asked, as he rubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand, thankful that he had changed from his suit and into a t-shirt as he took in the concern shining in his family's expressions.

"We don't know." His father ascertained before he turned back towards the door and Jeremy's figure that was welcoming Sherriff Peterson and his deputy into Stonehaven. It was at that moment that everyone sitting in the living room knew the seriousness of the house call before each and every one of them got to their feet and waited for Jeremy to guide the officers towards them.

"We're sorry to have to call upon you at such late an hour." Peterson explained as he walked beside Jeremy; Riley just shared a glance towards her alpha that was politely dealing with the Sherriff.

"It's alright, as you can see me and my family are still awake." Jeremy smiled. "What is it we can help you with?"

"Unfortunately we've found another body about four miles from your property in a church." He explained as he looped her thumbs through his belt loops of his trousers.

"That is unfortunate."

"Indeed. But, we haven't come to point fingers we have actually come to ask for you help."

"You want our help?" Elena interrupted as she took in Peterson's bolding hair, his weary posture and his Deputies invasive glaring around the parts of Stonehaven that he could see.

"Miss Thompson you said you were a Doctor." He continued as he smiled from Elena and towards Riley. Riley just frowned as she briefly turned her attention from the Sherriff towards Nicky who was just as confused as she was.

"I did yes."

"Well, our town Doctor is currently unavailable due to attending a funeral in New York City and we have no one we can call on to determine a cause of death and to complete the autopsy. You said only yesterday that you would be more than happy to help. I guess I'm asking for your help."

"Of course, let me just grab my medical supplies and I will be right with you." Riley said with a nod as she once again pulled her hair from her features.

"Sherriff, do you mind if both myself and Antonio accompany Riley? It's just she's my guest and I don't want her stranded so far away from Stonehaven at this hour." Jeremy voiced, his sharp eyes recognizing the hesitation in the old Sherriff's eyes before it seemed his willpower gave in.

"I see no problem in that." He replied. "See you out front in ten minutes?" He finished and nodded his head in acceptance when he saw Riley's own nod and the Doctor could only follow with her eyes as Antonio guided them from the building.

"I best get my stuff." Riley uttered as she looked between Elena and Nick, slowly pulling down the hem of her shirt over her jeans as she flashed a sad smile in Nick's direction. Nick however had other idea's, grasped hold of her wrist and pulled her close to his large form that engulfed her. He felt her small hand resting to his sides while he placed his large hand to the back of her head.

"You stay safe okay." He whispered as he kissed her forehead, his eyelids squeezing shut a little tighter, as if he were fighting himself inside. Riley just closed her own eyes, understanding the tormenting emotions that was engulfing her friend, knowing that he was uncomfortable with the idea of letting her out of his site, but she had already agreed to go, and though she was shy and sometimes sweet she was also stubborn as a mule and never went back on her word. Besides, she wasn't exactly alone considering their Alpha and one of the strongest members of their pack were accompanying her.

"Don't worry about me." She whispered as she pulled apart, her grey orbs connecting with his brown ones before she finally stepped away and headed towards the kitchen and her medical belongings.

0-0-0

The early morning snowfall was of little help to Jeremy as he tried to navigate the treacherous roads that were covered with a mix of both snow and ice; it seemed the valley snowploughs had been unable to uncover the tarmac of the roads and as the werewolves travelled through town in their massive explorer they were also unable to locate any. Nevertheless, as they drove cautiously along Main Street of Bear Valley, Riley could hear the tires hissing through the snow slush, the windscreen wipers scraping at the hoar-frosted glass and the bellowing of the heating as the warm air boomed from the grills.

The road took them into a small neighbourhood of run-down foreclosed houses that looked in dire need of being ripped down and rebuilt. In the darkness, Riley's sensitive eyesight could see the peeling paintwork, the termite infested wood was shattered or breaking ultimately compromising the decking and the foundations of the building, while the grotty aged windows did little to enhance the cleanliness of the buildings. The bleak skies and the tremendous winds that were bellowing through the streets did little to shake Riley's feeling of a desolate neighbourhood.

However, as Jeremy slowed the young Doctor could see a patrol car parked near the front gate of the chapel, its light flaring blue and white in the darkness of the night ignited the butterflies of Riley stomach to intensify and she had to prevent the wolf within her from bolting. Antonio spun around a little in his seat to gaze towards her, nothing but dread and unease sparkling in his own eyes as he too prepared himself with coming face to face with death once again. Jeremy flashed the officer his ID and made general chit chat as he answered the questions spoken to him, the officer making it very clear that he had been told about the arrival of an English Doctor and her friends. It seemed Riley's coming was highly anticipated.

Jeremy parked his Jeep next to the several cars that littered the front driveway of the Chapel. As Riley rested her hand to the door handle she braced herself for the first blast of cold air to hit her and as she stepped out of the car, her shoe skidded right out from underneath her. The young werewolf barley had time to catch herself but she flailed her arms and found herself hanging between the car door and the roof of the explorer. Dragging herself back to her feet, she felt the icy water trickling down her calves from the soaked hem of her coat and she could hear Antonio's soft chuckling as he held out his hand to aid her departure of the car.

She glanced across the courtyard at the intense volume of people who were coming and going. During her career she had been to several crime-scenes when none of the forensic pathologists were available, or like now, when being a Doctor was the only thing they could get. But as she took in the crime-scene techs that were busily attending to their job roles she couldn't help her eyes from falling to the police officer who was intently watching her from the doorway of the chapel. She had no doubt that he had seen her fall and she had to bit back her stinging pride as she reached back into the Explorer for her medical supplies and swung the door shut behind her.

As the group of them muddled their way through the intense crowd of people, snowflakes whirled and danced amid needles of sleet. The chapel looked something out of a fairy-tale; its windows climbed high against the red brick before curling to meet in the middle, the beautiful stain glass depicting several characters from the bible. Riley couldn't help but stare up at the tall steeple that was the main focal point for the church and neighboured by two identical sections of the 'Medieval' chapel. Once she forced herself from her studying she noticed they were coming up towards the smiling patrolman who seemed to be shuffling on his feet with glee as if he witness an enemy embarrassing himself. Riley however, just curled her hair around her ear as she stood behind Antonio and Jeremy who held emotionless expressions.

"You okay there Doc? That was a nasty slip." The officer said with a snide smile that set Riley's teeth on edge. Here she was, doing the Bear Valley Police Department a service and all she was getting was the taunting and the mocking of the officers who really wished to be left alone and not have interfering Doctors messing up their crime scene. It seemed the Valleys distrust of Jeremy and his family extended far beyond just the town's folk.

"I'm fine, thank you for helping me." Riley voiced, her own sarcasm evident within her tone that abruptly caused the officer to stop talking when he heard the authority in her voice and the surprise that shone on Jeremy and Antonio's face concerning the confidence she protected herself with.

"Where is Sherriff Peterson, he specifically asked for Riley to complete the medical examination?" Jeremy asked causing the patrolman to turn his attention from Riley and towards her Alpha.

"Just inside, you can't miss him."

The entrance to the chapel was draped with a strand of yellow crime scene tape, which was drooping under the weight of the fallen snow. She slowly lifted her eyes towards Antonio who was lifting the opposing obstacle for her; the young Doctor just whispered her thanks before falling quickly behind Jeremy who was already sliding through the door. A camera flash exploded in her eyes and she froze. The door was slowly hissing behind Antonio who was also dazed by the sudden explosion of light, each of them shaking their heads of the after image that had overwhelmed their eyes. As her vision cleared, she saw what was almost identical to the church she attended when she was growing up. Nostalgic recognition of the several rows of uncomfortable solid oak pews, the whitewashed painted walls that had chips in the paint and the elegantly decorated front area held several golden plated crosses, chalices and bibles dominated the alter.

"Watch your step Doctor." A photographer suddenly stated as he motioned towards her feet. Riley just looked down towards her shoes and saw the sheer volume of blood. Inhuman footprints that seemed to be giant wolf prints crossed with what would be a size fourteen human foot were littered in front of her. Antonio just came to stand next to her, his own gaze looking down to the jumble of prints before he gave her a supportive squeeze of the hand and guided her towards Jeremy who was speaking with the Sherriff.

As she moved down the isle she could see her own breath within the glacial walls of the church, the temperature seemingly dropping as she grew ever closer to the body, her figure getting even colder when her eyes took in the blood splatters that seemed to dominate the first three rows of the church. She just thanked the officer who passed her paper shoe covers and again moved towards Jeremy.

"Doctor Thompson, good, you finally got through my officers. The victim is just over here." The Sherriff said from the front of the chapel, Riley able to recognise his balding hair any day. It was when she cleared the first three rows did she see the body of the young girl, lying face down, the fabric of her bright white shirt blending into a large pool of blood. Plastic sheets to preserve whatever evidence maybe found encased both hands but what really spooked Riley was her appearance.

The victim was what seemed to be around the age of thirty-four, her pale grey eyes frozen in the look of eerie serenity while her copper ginger trellises would travel to the middle of her back had it not been for the blood clotting the strands together. Her skin was pale, blotched blue and purple as the cold affected her deceased body while the skin of her arms and her neck was adjourned red with blood.

"Her name's Tansy Randclyffe, she's a waitress at the diner down Main Street. Lived here in Bear Valley all her life." The Sherriff said, sounding crest fallen. "She had plans to go to Law school and become a barrister, but when her mother got sick she stayed behind to care for her." He voiced. Riley just shot him a sad smile before she lifted her sleeves to pull her hair into a ponytail-bun to prevent her own DNA contaminating the scene.

She squatted by her bag, pulled out a pair of latex gloves before she pulled them over the skin of her hands. It was then that she went about studying the body. She had to try and keep her emotions hidden considering the three large, serrated wounds that littered her back were almost identical to the ones she held; there was no denying that the creature was the one who had attacked this young woman, but as she briefly lifted her grey eyes towards Jeremy and Antonio, from the look they gave her they had come to the same conclusion.

However, upon closer inspection it seemed another instrument had been used on the woman. She had irregular linear tears on her scalp resulting in fragments of bone to protrude through the lacerations; she had to fight back her own unease when she identified a clump of grey matter protruding from her compromised skull.

"Has she been moved?"

"No, we wanted to leave her as she was so you could get an honest to god opinion." Said Peterson, his hands on his hips as he watched Riley work.

"So she died face down?"

"It would look that way."

"What time was the victim discovered?"

"About eleven this evening." Peterson glanced at his watch. "Nearly three hours ago."

"Was there any sign of force entry?"

"No, but that church isn't very secure anyway. The walls that protect the chapel are covered in ivy so you could hop right over it or use the vines for an easy footing. We've had several problems with partying kids in here over the last few years because it's out of the way and half the houses in the neighbourhood are empty."

"Footprints?"

"Only the ones by the door, the others outside have been buried with snow." He started. "I doubt we will get much from them anyway; you now understand why it's been so difficult for us to determine whether it's a wolf kill or if we're looking for a serial killer."

"And no ones heard anything? Not even the vicar?" She questioned and inwardly cursed when the American's around her frowned. "Ah, priest?" She rephrased and relaxed when she noticed understanding wash into their expression.

"He lives the other side of Bear Valley so he was at home sleeping. I doubt the church gets used much anyway, we have another more popular Chapel down Main Street." Riley just nodded her head before she leant over the body, preventing herself from touching Tansy and continued to study her wounds. After she had finished she lifted her hands and began to palpate her scalp and felt the shifting of bone beneath the skin. "Multiple blows, all of them landing to the back of the skull."

"And the bruising on the face?" Jeremy asked, surprising both Riley and the Sherriff who looked up at him, astounded by his confidence. "I was accepted into medical school, but never went." Jeremy replied flippantly, the Sherriff buying his lie while Antonio and Riley knew the correct answer.

"Natural colouration from rigor mortis and it's fixed."

"So the attack came from behind and above?" Peterson asked and nodded when he took in Riley's nod. The Doctor once again went about her work and reached for Tansy's elbow, flexing the joint to find it moved effortlessly.

"It's flaccid so rigor mortis has yet to set in."

"So when could you estimate time of death?"

"I'm not sure, it's very cold in here so lividity could be delayed almost indefinitely."

"But her face looks bruised."

"Livor mortis is probably the culprit. It won't help us identify the time of death considering it probably set in within thirty minutes." Riley replied as she searched through her large bag of supplies. She took out her chemical thermometer to measure the temperature of the building and decided against a rectal temperature until she had been transported to the appropriate facilities; she was also certain that this young woman hadn't been sexually assaulted considering the information about her attack had led to a creature intent on killing and not sexual pleasure. In the meantime she just took out her equipment and took various fluids for post-mortem potassium levels that would help her estimate the time of death.

It was now time for Riley to pay closer attention to the injuries that lined Tansy's back. This was the part she was dreading considering whenever she thought about looking at them her mind was involuntarily flung back sixteen years when she herself went through the ordeal. The young Doctor just removed a knife from her kit and went about removing the clothing from her back. Once that was completed she got a better look into the mutilated flesh that was protruding fat, muscle and blood. However, something caught her eye. She readjusted her position to get a closer look before she pulled out a plastic test tube. She did not care for the flinching of her companions when her fingers protruded into the victims back and pulled out what seemed to be a goblet of blood or poison.

"What is that?" Peterson interjected as Riley went about placing the fluid into the tube.

"I can't be sure, but I would rush this through to the lab to help me get a prognosis." Riley started as she removed her gloves and got to her feet. She tried to fight back to the shivering of her body as she felt the freezing water on her skin. It seemed her jeans had absorbed the water from the floor and now, as she stood within ice-cold walls of the church she was hoping she wouldn't get a cold. "As a cause of death I can only assume it was the blow to the back of the head, but if you want me to conduct an autopsy I will be able to give you a more definite cause." Riley finished as she packed up her belongings.

"Would you be able to come by the morgue around three this afternoon to complete it?" Peterson asked. Riley just looked towards Jeremy who gave her a firm nod, his eyes somewhat dazed as if his mind had been plagued by conflicting ideas.

"Shall I meet you at the station?"

"That would be great."


	11. Chapter Ten

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

Riley was flagging; Her eyes were tired and struggled to focus on the microscope slide that was shining brightly under the light while her nose trembled as her sense was bombarded with the unappealing aroma of death and completely ignored it. The young Doctor knew that she must have completed the autopsy no more than an hour ago and so far she had yet to find anything of significance and to make matters worse she really needed a run. She hadn't changed into her animal counterpart since she had been at Stonehaven and considering she was reaching her eighth day she could feel her skin itching, her leg unconsciously twitched and her much needed vision kept shifting from human to wolf.

It was in that moment that she knew she needed to complete a task she had been trying to avoid. Miss Randclyffe held three remarkably visible, memorable and deeply disturbing marks on her back. Three scratches that whenever Riley looked to them her mind was plagued by disturbing images from a time in her past that she wished to forget. The young Doctor just removed herself from the stall she had occupied and paced towards the box of latex gloves, making sure that her laboratory coat was clasped tightly around her middle to prevent from damaging her clothes. She flexed her fingers into the gloves, picked up a scalpel and headed towards the victim.

She hesitated; never once in her years of medical service did she falter in such a manner, but as she prepared to gain a sample to study her mind was distracted. It had been her on a Doctor's table, her screams of agony begging the Doctors to stop inflicting such tremendous pain; it had been her unashamed tears streaming from her eyes as she withered and convulsed as her body struggled to fight whatever was coursing through her blood stream. It could have very easily been her lying on an autopsy table, she could have been the one who had died but by some miracle she had been saved. Maybe the wolf within her had provided her with the strength a human didn't have, or perhaps it was Riley's strong will in surviving her attack that had seen her recuperation. Nevertheless, her scars were a painful reminder of a time she wished to never remember. She never told anyone the real story concerning her scratches and it was this deformity that caused her confidence to dwindle and never let anyone close. Well, Riley knew that this was one of a few reasons but in her mind it was one of the biggest.

She dug the metal scalpel into the victims back, not even flinching at the invasion before her attention was suddenly caught. The glass door to the lab was slowly opened and as Riley lifted her attention to the interruption she could see Nick holding open the door to Elena, the pair of them grimacing as the sudden bombardment of rotting flesh overwhelmed their noses. Riley couldn't help the smile from engulfing her lips as she took in her friends blanching; it seems years of exposure had made her immune.

"Though I'm grateful for the visit, why are you guys here?" Riley asked as she went about studying her cadaver. Elena, who was still holding onto her nose just grimaced again as she observed Riley's actions before she looked over her shoulder to see Nick's uneasy expression as he noticed Riley cutting away a section of dead flesh.

"Jeremy was getting worried." Elena managed to say, almost heaving under the poignant smell that had been caused by the cutting, removing and studying of the dead woman's skin, organs and body. "Apparently you've been here since three."

"What's the time now?" Riley asked as she balanced the dead tissue on her scalpel before dropping it into a sterile dish that was housed next to other scientific equipment that in Nicky's opinion looked like something he would find in the Saw movies.

"Just coming up to half past nine." Nick voiced as he gazed down towards his watch. "You missed dinner." He finished, a small half smile on his lips as Riley lifted her eyes to balk towards him.

"Reason for Jeremy to be a little concerned. He hates the idea of you being involved in the investigation anyway; even if he knows that it's the best place for you to be." Elena inputted as Riley meandered towards her slide preparation area.

"I've yet to find any evidence that this is a wolf kill." Riley voiced as she reached for a flat, rectangular piece of soda lime glass, her attention somewhat caught as she delicately placed her tissue sample to the slide. "But then, I've not found anything to say this was the work of a serial killer either." The Doctor finished as she removed her gloves to replace them with a clean pair.

"What is it that you have found? Anything that would help us?" Nick questioned, his interest in the subject obviously spiking as he watched Riley reach for a pipette of immersion oil that she placed onto the centre of the slide.

"The victim received a hefty wound to the back of her head which resulted in a section of her skull to come apart. From my investigation I've come to the conclusion that her head injury was the cause of death." Riley answered as she positioned her sample using a set of tweezers.

"And the scratches had nothing to do with it?" Elena voiced with a frown.

"From the blood samples and the previous tissue samples I have taken I now know that the scratches were completed post-mortem."

"You mean they were done after she had died?" Elena asked again as Riley held the slide at an angle and placed one side of the cover slip against the slide making sure the slip had come into contact with the outer edge of the liquid drop.

"That's right." Riley answered, as she made sure she hadn't got any air bubbles on her slide.

"And you have no idea if it was a Mutt?" Nick stated, scratching the back of his head as he struggled to make sense of Riley's information. Riley just smiled and nodded her head as she removed the excess water with a paper towel.

"Normally if it was a wolf, or a werewolf in animal form you tend to find strands or clumps of fur. I haven't found anything. But then they could've been in human form and was wearing gloves but Mutt's can't fight the temptation to bite their victims. We have also noticed a correlation between werewolf kills and Necrophilia. There were no traces of sexual assault or semen deposits." Riley finished, her tone business like as she dealt with what would be a horrific situation with a professionalism that the circumstances demanded of her. Nick however just looked down at his feet as the realisation of the situation engulfed him while Elena could not stop from shuffling uncomfortably. The young Doctor however readjusted her position and started to study the slide she had just prepared and what she saw only confirmed a theory she had speculated for many years; but then this realization didn't stop her from being surprised. "She's been poisoned."

"Come again?" Nick spluttered, his eyes blinking as he shot Elena a sceptical look.

"You ever heard of Komodo dragons?" Riley asked as she spun around to face her companions. "It was thought that their mouths were teaming with bacteria but in 2009 a group of American scientists discovered this lizard had a venomous bite. After one has bitten you, a Komodo will track you for hours just waiting for this venom to slowly eat away at your nervous system until you can no longer defend yourself, and then it will devour you alive."

"You mean she was scratched by a dragon?" Elena solicited, her eyes flashing back towards the victim's body as she tried to understand what Riley was describing to her. No wonder she chose to be a journalist and not a scientist.

"No, but this poison is very similar but way more efficient." Riley expressed, professionally turning back to her slide to confirm her theory as she took in the shapes of the cells and the intruding venom particles perfectly preserved on her microscope slide. "I've never seen anything like this before but the shape and size is very similar to poisons collected from other reptiles. I would like to send this off for testing but this is the only thing that could led us to whoever is responsible."

"So the poison killed her?" Nick inquired, his confusion still visibly shining on his countenance as Riley removed the slide from underneath the lens and went about conserving the sample so she would be able to study it when she was back at Stonehaven.

"I stand by what I said earlier as it was the blow to the back of her head that killed her. I can only assume that the creature that killed her scratched her to leave us a message."

"Or a threat." Elena retorted which was answered by Riley nodding her head.

"So what are you going to say to the police?" Nick inquired, "After all, you can't say you found her to be poisoned."

"Luckily the Doctor who completed the other autopsies didn't do a tox screen or investigate the possibility of poison so I can just say the scratches was the signature and the skull fracture was the cause of death."

"You came up with this lie very easily you know." Nick retorted with a smile, a smile that was rewarded with one.

"You're not the first one to say that to me." Riley started. "Besides, I'm saying a half truth with evidence to back them up. I doubt the police will be after anymore evidence considering this never really happens in Bear Valley." Riley enthused openly as Elena answered her ringing phone and allowed Riley time to pack away her things and collect her belongings.

However, as Nick picked up Riley's bag he did not fail to miss her unconscious scratching at her arm. The werewolf just snuck a peak behind his shoulder to see Elena's attention solely focused to her conversation on her phone that he turned his attention directly back towards Riley who was standing remarkably close to him considering she was collecting her other bag of medical supplies.

"You need to change." Was all Nick whispered and as he took in Riley's astonished expression he couldn't help but flash her a comforting smile as she thought back to the last time she had changed.

Like most pack wolves Riley knew she needed to change at least once a week or her animal side would force it's way out. This meant that even though she had complete control over her change she was still on a schedule, a timetable that she had ignored during her stay at Stonehaven. Part of her knew it was because they had been forbidden to run in the forests at Stonehaven by their alpha due to the trigger-happy hunters that were stalking through the trees, but then deep down she was just making excuses. As soon as she let her wolf be free, as soon as she ran liberally through the familiar and welcoming forests of Stonehaven and as soon as she resided in the feeling of happiness it overshadowed everything bad that had happened there. It would be that moment that everything that was there, Nick, the ability to run, none of it would be worth it if she felt so unworthy and unwanted.

But she could already feel the restlessness; the itchiness of her skin and Riley knew that her muscles would soon start to ache. She would have to change in a day or so considering the last time she had shifted was when she tracked the creature in England about eight days ago.

"I'm fine, just a little apprehensive." Riley said with a half awkward smile.

"I'm not stupid Riley, when was your last change?"

"About eight days ago."

"Eight…." Nick balked before a stern expression clouded his features. "You shouldn't leave it so long."

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Riley whispered angrily "I got over here so quick I didn't have time to shift back home and then when I've been at Stonehaven Jeremy has banned our running."

"That's not the point, you can't push the change or it will finally overtake you. God forbid you shift in front of the police."

"I'll talk to Jeremy. I just don't want to run with Clay."

"Understandable considering he was very rude to you last night."

0-0-0

The moonlight was reduced mere glimmers as the branches of the dense forest prevented the accessible amounts of light to illuminate the snow-covered driveway of Stonehaven. Only a minute before her eyes were able to detect the moonbeams, now her eyes were comfortably following the road underneath the tires of Antonio's Mercedes before the heavy snowfall from the night before completely engulfed the back roads that consisted of their route back home.

However, to her astonishment she could see the Sherriff's automobile parked to the side, the large canopy of trees looming over the vehicle. Nick just shared an uneasy look with his close companion before he followed Elena's path and parked next to the Explorer on the other side of the driveway.

As she evacuated the vehicle the cold night air was suddenly biting at her skin, the ground crusty as the snow began to freeze. For once, the elegant and rather foreboding picturesque of the wintery forest around her placed an eerie moodlet onto the young Doctor. Riley simply pulled her sleeves over her hands as she headed towards the backseat, carefully observing where she placed her feet as she heaved at the handle of one of her medical bags.

She had only been outside for a few moments but the frosty mist that was bellowing around her feet caused the biting chill to freeze Riley further, her breaths coming out as cold vapour as she cradled her cold hands closer to her chest. She gave Nick a small smile as he too removed one of her bags, his cheeks stinging with pink before his free hand wrapped around her shoulders and he guided her into the main foyer of Stonehaven. But, as the three of them moved through the open doors of Stonehaven the raised voices of a frustrated Sherriff Peterson made Elena shove an anxious glance behind her.

"All of these victims look almost identical to Doctor Thompson and the bodies started turning up right on your doorstep." The Sherriff mocked as he spoke to a calm Jeremy as if he was a toddler. "Has she got any enemies, anyone who might want to hurt her?"

"Riley very rarely stays here at Stonehaven. The last time she was here was over a year ago and the time before that was another six months. There has always been months between her visits. She does not stay long enough to warrant this kind of attention." Jeremy replied calmly but with a tone of voice that warned the Sherriff of his underlying anger.

"And in England? Is she involved in any illicit activities and someone is trying to send her a message?"

"She's a Doctor, a healer, what kind of activities do you think she could be involved in?" Antonio scoffed in disbelief. "She doesn't go around prescribing the wrong treatment just for the fun of it!"

"But what about your son Mr Sorrentino, is their any chance this could be aimed at him?" The Deputy questioned, his face hard and presumptuous as the lawmen went about accusing Nick once again considering he distrusted him the last time they met.

"What are you implying?"

"What I am implying, sir, is that your son is incredibly close to the lady in question, maybe someone is threatening your son by murdering women who look like Doctor Thompson or he is the one killing these woman to make sure she finally notices him."

"Well, why don't you ask him yourself?" Antonio growled as he cocked his head in the direction of the three newest arrivals as they headed to the archway that led towards the main living area. In that moment Peterson suddenly became sheepish and nervous as he looked towards Riley, knowing that he had just been throwing accusations about her when she had been completing a job for him. The young Doctor just frowned towards Jeremy who urged her to answer any of the questions asked of her.

"Ask me what?" Nick asked as his attention was fluttered between his father, his alpha and the Deputy who was still frowning suspiciously up towards Nick who in return was glaring down towards him.

"Nothing." Peterson retorted before he turned his cold glare towards Riley. "Did you get anything from the autopsy?" He forced as he hurried Riley for an answer.

"There was no evidence left by a Wolf, but then there was no evidence of a human killer either. I left the report with your secretary." Riley managed to stammer before she frowned at Peterson's unusual firm nod of the head before he muttered his goodbyes and rushed out into the cold night air. Riley simply watched him leave before she turned back towards her pack. "What in blazes was that all about?"

"He's just digging for answers." Antonio mused as he stepped to the side to allow the rest of his pack into the room and towards a seat. Riley however did not fail to notice Karl quickly coming to sit next to her as Nick answered his ringing phone.

"Was what you said to the Sherriff true about not finding anything?" Clayton asked as he plonked himself next to his wife and firmly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Riley just shook her head as she looked towards Jeremy.

"Nothing that would point to a wolf kill. I did find a poison that I've never seen before." Riley voiced as she reached into her bag and pulled out the microscope slide that she had preserved. She handed it over to Jeremy and watched as her alpha lifted the slide towards the light to get a better view of the shape and size of the poison toxins. The young Doctor knew that Jeremy was about the only one educated enough in medicine to understand what his eyes were seeing considering he had been the Pack doctor long before she arrived.

"And you didn't say any of this in your report to the Sherriff?" Clay questioned as he fluttered his eyes between his father and then back towards Riley who was firmly shaking her head.

"No, I thought it best to leave that part out. I'm hoping that this poison will be something we can use to identify this creature or find out who maybe responsible." Riley expressed before she lifted her eyes towards Nick who was walking back into the room with a frown on his face, his eyes distant as if lost in thought. It seemed whoever had been on the phone had provided him with some discomfort, or it was the mysterious caller who didn't ever say anything.

"And you guided the police in the direction of a serial killer and not a wolf kill." Jeremy probed as he handed the slide back to the young Doctor.

"Yes, I also managed to sway the police investigation away from you guys so hopefully the police won't be bothering you as much."

"Good." Jeremy started. "But, while you were away I sent Clay, Marsten and Antonio to the church to see if the police had missed anything and surprisingly they had."

"What did they miss?" Nick voiced as he perched himself to the arm of his fathers chair.

"A set of inhuman and un-wolf like footprints." Marsten expressed as he folded his leg across the other. "Footprints that were leading comfortably into the forest behind the chapel so that is the best place for us to start looking."

"Are we going tonight?" Elena interrupted as she looked up at Jeremy.

Jeremy shook his head "Not tonight, there is another expected snowstorm tonight which will hide any moonlight we will need. So I plan on tracking tomorrow morning and each of us will be involved." Jeremy explained. "So rest up, we have a busy day tomorrow." Jeremy finished before resting his hand on Riley's shoulder before he moved from the room and one by one each of the pack members followed.

0-0-0

Nick wasn't taking no for an answer. Not even after Riley had argued her point about changing tomorrow, so that was how she found herself in Stonehaven's forests at ten o'clock at night. However, as she walked through the compact thicket of the forest Riley couldn't stop the itchiness of her arms from spreading down to her legs. Her limbs were aching and as she curled her toes within the confines of her boots, this action was unable to alleviate the itching, and as usual, the sensation only got worse. The Doctor could see Nick walking a few steps in front of her, his taller form gliding past the snow cladded leaves of ferns and other bushes with ease, but as her extremities started to burn she couldn't help but monitor the sensation in her arms and legs. She had gone as far as her body would allow, the final warning burning up and across her shoulders as her scalp started to burn and itch.

Riley wasn't surprised when Nick looked over his shoulder to see the apprehension shining in her eyes; she didn't have to say anything, just shot him a look and he knew. She had walked as far as she could without loosing control. The young man simply reached for her hand, his long fingers curling around her palm as he squeezed it in comfort before he parted and clamoured his way through the underbrush to find a place to change. Riley just watched after him, her heart yearning for his comfort before she headed in the opposite direction to find her own clearing to shift.

It didn't take her long to find a spot and quickly removed her clothing. The next step was getting down on all fours which was completed in time considering she could feel her skin stretching, the burning sensation sparking into a roaring flame deep within her being. She tried to calm herself but she could not prevent the cry of agony from tumbling out of her lips as she grimaced in torture, as she felt like she was being seared alive. She puffed out the cold night air, to calm her withering body as she tried to allow her body to undergo something that came so naturally to her; but as she concentrated on her shift she failed to notice her screaming body to stop thinking so human. Her muscles were convulsing and knotting, her skin was stretching and then shrinking, and her bones were snapping and protruding her body in impossible ways.

Sweat was trickling down her icy skin, her muscles finally untwisting into position as Riley continued with her change. Next came the most painful part of her change that had her screaming like an infant; this stage was vital and it was also the phase of her shift that terrified her most. This was the point where anything could happen and it was also the segment that provided most of the problems. This was the part when her body finally shifted. Her skin was prickling and her fur sprouted, the pain was riddling her body and she could not stop her fingers from curling into the dirt as she grunted and mumbled to herself, refusing and unable to reverse the process.

Riley toppled sideway as the pain overwhelmed her, a hideous screech squeezing from her vocal chords as they changed from human to wolf. The change finally took over and she convulsed and spasmed in pain. She could not stop the twisting and withering of her body before the pain dissipated without a lingering ache. Riley just lay on her side, panting as she recovered from her ordeal before she slowly dragged her feet under her and heaved her now animal body onto its paws.

As Riley took in her environment, her world was turned into a world of muted colours that she had been unable to detect as a human. She could see blacks and browns with the hint of blue, green and red. It was in that moment that she lifted her nose, her wolf ears pressing to the back of her head as her already sensitive senses became sharper and more prominent. She could smell the delicious scent of juvenile rabbits grazing and digging through the snow no more than a mile away, she could smell Nick's comforting aroma spiralling through the bushes surrounding her, and she could smell the welcoming redolence of a forest she had yearned to run in.

Her heart was tripping within her chest, her ears swivelling, muscles tense as she had an urge to run; but she stayed still. She cautiously lifted one of her paws and rested it out in front of her before her other front paw joined. She dropped her weight onto her hind paws, her tail curling over her back as she leant back and yipped quite happily when she felt the clicking and stretching of her back.

However, Riley's adapted eyesight could see the muzzle of a dark chocolate, all brown nose of a wolf she would never forget. A contented whine erupted from her lips as she welcomed Nick into her clearing. Nick stalked forward, his brown eyes sparkling with untrained excitement as he snorted his welcome; the freezing air around them caused their breath to turn into visible vapour. Riley just lolled her tongue between her large canine teeth in a welcoming smile, inviting Nick closer who prowled towards her and rubbed his muzzle against Riley. Nick's wolfish eyes taking in her beautiful markings, committing every mark to memory as he rubbed his flank against hers.

His companion was a hundred-pound wolf with white fur on her paws and stomach that slowly moved into fur of light orange. The only part of her that remained where her eyes, sparkling with a cold intelligence and simmering ferocity that could never be mistaken for anything but human.

Riley returned Nick's nuzzling by sweeping her body past his before she pressed the top of her head under his lower mandible; a dim part of her mind knowing that their behaviour resembled bonded animals, but she didn't care. She was with the one 'man' she couldn't bare to be apart from and she just basked in his company and attentions.

However, as she pulled apart she cautiously headed from her clearing, her nose twitching and her mouth held open as she tasted the cold winter air. She was just about to move onto the path and pass her companion when Nick surprised her. He twisted sideways and lunged towards her, grabbing her hind leg within his jaws and yanked it from underneath her. Before she could even retaliate Nick was upon her, rolling the pair of them through the thicket, neither of them caring about the animals scampering out of their way and neither of them taking notice of the scents and objects left by the intruding hunters on their land. All that mattered was each other, each of them finally enjoying the company of their wolfish mate with whom they had been parted from for so long.

They rolled down a frozen path, teeth chapping against fur, claws scratching against skin and barking like playing wolves. However, before Riley could even counteract Nick's actions she felt her back being shoved to the frozen ground with Nick firmly on top of her with his paws propelled to where her shoulders would have been had she been in human form.

She growled at him and with as much dignity that she lifted herself back onto her feet. Her companion just stood back and watched, his much larger frame towering over her form as his eyes laughed as she shook the freezing snow from her dense course hairs. Nick's small bark pulled Riley's attention back to him, his body tense, ears intently listening as he twitched his nose and smelt the air. He forced his muzzle to Riley's flank, urging her to do the same and as she did, the familiar smell of deer radiated around her olfactory senses.

Nevertheless, they didn't bolt right away. It may have seemed strange that two very large dogs stopped and considered attacking a large deer. Many people thought wolves were more vicious compared to their prey, but the slash of a Stag's antlers could cut open an un-expecting wolf and a hoof could easily crack the skull. There was actually a fifteen-inch scar that ran down Nick's left side where his flank has been sliced open by a deer.

Yet, had they been running with their pack, both of them would have been more than happy to follow the orders of their elders. Whether that was from Jeremy or Clay and Elena who were the alpha pair. But they were running together which meant it was an open canvas considering both of them held the same rank. Nick and Riley were also more than happy to listen to the other considering they shared a very similar temperament when it came to giving and complying with orders.

Riley just fluttered her ear once again. Her hearing was possibly her best sense and as she listened to the forest the sound of grazing animal's bombarded her mind. The young wolf simply turned her attention to the east, her hearing picking up on the chewing of a deer that was confirmed by its scent. It seemed that a lone Stag had wondered away from its herd and was ambling through the forest. Riley scoffed at their luck considering that when they hunted deer they usually had to separate the Stag from its females. Tonight it had done that job for them. Nick just turned his attention down towards her, his emotions shining in his eyes as if to say 'you ready?" Riley just snorted her reply before Nick headed to the left and she headed right to get down wind of their prey.

It took her less than ten minutes to follow the Stag's trail and before long she was stalking through the underbrush with her stomach rubbing against the floor and waited for the opportune moment. She momentarily held her breath when she recognised the Stag's behaviour; the majestic animal lifted its hoof, his head angled high in the air as if he sensed her there. Less than a millisecond later he went about feeding and provided Riley with possibly her only chance. She crouched, her forepaws out in front of her before she wiggled her bottom in the air and sprang.

Riley inwardly cursed when the Stag bolted. Deep down she knew that this was part of the plan, but as she finally felt her paws landing on the ground she now had to try and reduce the distance that had been created between her and her prey. Even sprinting at her highest speed she would struggle to keep up with the Stag; after all he was an animal built to run at speed. Wolves on the other hand were not designed to sprint and dealt better running over long distances so her only option was to run the Stag into exhaustion.

They must have only been running for a few minutes and the pair of them were already tiring; the Stag was snorting and panting, while she wheezed and stumbled having already expended a great deal of energy from the initial tumbling around with her pack mate. But, instead of getting lost in her memories that heavy aroma of Nick washed over her mind, encouraging the young wolf onwards and she trailed behind the hide of the Stag. They bolted through the foliage, the emaciated branches of trees scratched at her coat and the flank of the deer, the pair of them slipped and slided against the icy path while the obstructions slowed their pace. The Stag however leapt over a fallen tree and quickly bolted around the corner, unaware of Nick leaping from the high ground and locked his jaw around its nose.

Riley shoved her paws to the icy ground, scrambling for a footing as her paws seemed to fall from underneath her. She skidded for a few meters, her paws entangling before she was able to regain the correct rhythm. The squeals of the panicked stag reverberated around the pair of them; a noise that only spurred them on and Riley was surprised at Nick's resilience considering he was being flung like a rag doll. The young wolf, however inexperienced she was when it came to hunting deer barrelled into the fray, lunging towards the belly of the beast and sank her teeth into its stomach. She locked her jaw and she felt her large canines ripping through the flesh of her prey as it withered and recoiled from his attackers.

They were completing an ancient technique, a ploy that had been handed down from alpha to alpha and father's teaching their sons how to hunt. Bite the face of your prey and it would always be to preoccupied to understand or register the more deadly attack that was occurring down under. Riley knew now just how successful this technique was. Riley had to suddenly readjust her hold as the Stag bolted to the right to try and shake her. Unfortunately for the deer it didn't work. She locked her jaws once again and this time tore an even bigger hole into its skin. The warm blood was trickling down her throat as her small size meant her hind limbs were dancing underneath her as she struggled to keep her balance.

Before either of them could even consider what was happening the Stag's front legs staggered from underneath him allowing Nick all the time he needed to reposition his dangerous jaws and tore out it's throat. Once the deer had finally stopped convulsing, Riley took a cautious step back as if to say 'go ahead, you take the first bite." But instead she just felt Nick sliding up her flank, his fur shuddering at her touch as the adrenaline coursing through his body spiralled through his veins. Riley barked in response before she fell to her knees and tore into the animal's side. The pair of them began to feast, tearing off chunks of meat and gulping them whole.

Once they had finished Riley simply walked towards a clearing and looked over her shoulder towards Nick who was licking his lips of the last remnants of his meal. Riley invited him to sit with her and he collapsed at her side, shifting ever closer so he was able to lift and rest his paw around her neck and started to lick her muzzle. She closed her eyes as she felt him cleaning her bloodied fur, enjoying the sensation before they switched roles and she started to remove the blood from his matted fur. Once they had finished grooming Riley curled up against Nick's side, ignoring his comforting look and drifted off to sleep in a huddle of intertwined limbs and different colour fur.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Together**

_Woman of the Otherworld Fanficion_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

_She had no idea how long she had been searching. The bright light from the sky was twinkling to mere glimmers as the branches of the dense forest prevented the sunlight from illuminating the pathway that was slowly vanishing beneath her feet. Only a few moments ago she was able to track and search for any signs of life and detect the footprints that were embedded within the well-travelled path; instead she had to ignore the setting sun and concentrate on detecting the bent twigs or misplaced leaves as she continued on her task set by her father. After all, the man she was seeking had the potential to eliminate the threat that was looming over her family's kingdom. _

_She placed her hand to the bottom of her fine dove-grey suede coatdress, lifting the lapels from her trouser clad legs as she repositioned and angled her slender figure over the fallen tree that had fallen in her way. She ignored the silhouettes of branches that seemed to reach towards her with emaciated arms and finger like projections as she clambered deeper into the opaque forest; oh how she wished she could have her horse with her, knowing that it would have been far quicker to reach her destination on horseback than on foot. _

_However, the foreboding air was biting at her being as the temperature dropped; the young woman simply lifted her arms, the sleeves that featured the elegant medieval patterns were wrapping around her arms as she trudged further into the closing darkness. She could feel the enormous ornate silver buckle pressed underneath her arms, her coat unable to move from its tight hold on her body as the fine, deep blue sash that had been laced down the front was tightly gathered at the back of her coat. Nevertheless, that wasn't what was making her uncomfortable; there were no sounds of chirping insects, no sounds of falling leaves just the wheeling of the wind against the trees branches and the continuous thumping of her feet against the compacted wooden floor. She was conscious about how she had yet to see any animals considering she knew of the deadly creatures that lurked within the various woods that were within the kingdom boarders. _

_Cockatrices were the descendants from the lizard creatures of the Forests of Balor and dominated most forests in this region of her homeland. Her eyes constantly scanning for their typical dens that were embedded to the side of a hill; it was a creature with the legs of a dragon and the head of a rooster and as she travelled the worn path she hoped she would identify one for she did not want to be turned into stone. Maybe that was the reason her father insisted she carry a mirror, for it was one of the only ways to truly kill a Cockatrice. _

_The young woman simply shook herself from her troublesome thoughts and ducked lower to the ground, ignoring the feeling of someone's eyes staring at her back as she took in the tracks which were unmistakably made by Essetir Rabbits. She could not stop the smile from washing to her features as she realized she was on the right track. _

_She simply continued her journey down the old forest road on the western boarders of Essetir and knew she was coming closer to the abandoned Druid settlement of Castlrock and the old home that was her trajectory. But, as she continued on her excursion her eyes could detect a clearing in the forest resulting in her heartbeat to quicken as the anticipation of reaching her goal was beginning to course through her veins. As the last rays of sunlight flooded through the trees and into the clearing the young woman finally arrived at her destination. In the centre of the clearing was a large, very ancient tree that's thick branches were twisting and rising in any and every direction. But the rather bizarre occurrence happened to be the house that was embedded into the trunk of the tree. The stonework was barely able to hold the foundations of the house, causing the sidewalls to lean at dangerous angles. The roots of the tree were protruding from the base of the old wooden door and the windowsill. However, the thatched roof was wobbly and uneven with the second floor slanting to the side as if it was drooping or about to fall from its perch within the tree. _

_She could do nothing but stare with her mouth hanging open at the prospect of walking into the unsteady house. She simply brought in a huge lungful of air before her boots clapped against the cracking stone steps as she knocked her knuckles against the ancient door. _

"_Hello?" She called, leaning her head towards the door. "I am searching for a man named Gregory Bostel." She voiced again. She re-adjusted her long mahogany hair, pulling it over her shoulder as she pressed her ear to the door. "I am known as Ayleth Pendragon, daughter of King Arthur of Camelot, I need to speak with you about a matter of great importance." She finished, and her answer was silence. _

_Ayleth just moved her hand to the door handle, feeling the cool metal against her palm as she pushed with her strength on the lock. It did not budge. This act then resulted in her shoving her shoulder to the wooden door, slamming her body to try and open the old wooden door. With her inadequate strength Ayleth took a few steps back, angled her body to the side and lifted her leg, mustering all the strength she had left before shoving her foot to the door. The resulting crash resonated around the building and surrounding forest as the door was flung from its hinges and created a clear path for Ayleth to enter into the household. _

_The woman pressed her hand to either side of the now vacant doorframe as she ducked into the building. Her curiosity and unease were shining around her as she anxiously walked into the unstable building, which was creaking and groaning under her feet. It seemed the building was so old and rickety that her small frame was unable to prevent the construction from creaking. _

_It took her eyes a few moments to customize to the sudden change in her environment considering the light from the almost set sun barley reached the main area of the home leaving thick and large shadows engulfing the small home as Ayleth walked further into the front room. The three large windows to her right were crooked and capped in dirt; bowls and cutlery littered the shelf just by the door and the table that dominated that side of the room and was positioned under the window. A wooden armchair was curled into the corner of the building while another large armchair sat just to the other side of the house. Due to the dim lighting the woman could not see anything up the stairs or further into the house. With the creaking floorboards and her echoing footsteps she began to search, looking for any signs of activity. She was ordinarily perceptive of her surroundings and as she searched for the Druid in his home, her unease was beginning to worry her. _

_Something stirred behind her. _

_She snapped her body around, her hair flinging behind her as she brought her petite but slender figure into an upright position, her hand instinctively reaching and resting onto the hilt of her sword as her eyes searched the darkness. _

"_Hello?" Her smooth voice echoed, her breath misting the air around her. "I know you're here." She finished again, taking cautious steps towards the snuffling. As she rounded the corner, moving past the large armchair she relaxed, moving her hand from her sword when she took in the sight before her. A large, mousy brown Essetir rabbit was nervously scrutinizing her every move. "Well hello there." Ayleth started, her lips moving into a smile as she ducked to her knees so she had become level with the giant rabbit. She reached into her pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a piece of bread. "Here, it's only bread, it will help to restore your strength." She voiced and smiled comfortingly when the rabbit nervously hopped closer, its enormous hocks pressed to the floor as his front feet rested to the wood as he reached his nose to sniff the bread. His nose constantly twitching, his eyes wide and alert before he sat back onto his hocks and took the bread from Ayleth who was encouraging him forward. "How long have you been trapped here? It has been a great many days since this building has been inhabited."_

_However, Ayleth was pulled from her conversation when she felt the vibrations of the earth. The rabbit flicked its ears, whiskers and nose in the air as if its sixth sense picked up on the danger. Ayleth simply took in the shaking pots and pans that were clanging together, the moving of the furniture and the dust and dirt falling from the ceiling of the building. But, it was not the shaking of the earth that worried her. The house creaked and buckled vociferously; the foundations disintegrating around her caused the house to plummet from its perch within the tree. Ayleth knew she needed to act quickly, so she scooped the rabbit into her arms, conscious of its front paws on her shoulder and unconsciously compared it to the size of a medium hound as she hurled her figure from the building and stood by the front of the clearing. _

_Nonetheless, she was unable to witness the destruction of the home as her eyes were focused on something far more terrifying that she knew was responsible for the sudden earthquake. She looked down to the rabbit that was patiently waiting at her feet before the pair of them seemed to arrive at the same conclusion as they bolted to the nearest tree. The ground was still shaking around them, the ground cracking and opening as the plates of the earth rubbed together. Ayleth shoved her hand to the nearest branch, heaving her figure gracefully onto the branch before she lifted her foot, pushing her figure towards the top of the tree while the Essetir rabbit jumped and leapt from the different levels of the tree until they reached the peak. _

_Her eyes were frantically studying the vast landscapes of Balor. The rising and falling of the land rose higher and higher into the peaks and the dark rocks of the Isgaard Mountains; but what terrified her was the enormous, cycling energy beam that was spiralling from the base of the mountains and into the sky. The great rumbling ringing louder than before; rolling the ground as it echoed in the mountains. She could see it far beyond the Mountains of Isgaard as it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with sapphire. As she took in the darkness, and the valley of shadow and cold, the deathly light seemed unbearably violet and fierce. Flairs of livid lightning, forks of blue flames, sprung up from within the mountains and encircling the hills and into the sullen clouds. Ayleth's blood ran cold and she could feel the nervous twitching of the rabbit as he thumped his hocks onto the branch. _

"_That's coming from the Isles of the Blessed." She muttered, but as she watched, taking in how the light suddenly dissolved into the night her neck seemed to be burning. As she lifted the pendant that was resting around her neck, an electrical current swarmed throughout her body, travelling down her arm, across her shoulder and down to her toes. Her pendant was shining a bright white and Ayleth could only look at it in bewilderment. What did this mean? What was happening? She knew she needed to speak with her father, for something was happening, and she had no idea how to stop it. _

_0-0-0_

Night had given way to day and Riley was seriously struggling to comprehend the images of her dream. Her subconscious had been overloaded with confusing and overwhelming information that was preventing her from starting her day as she constantly fell back into her thoughts. Why had that young woman been searching for someone known as Gregory Bostel? What was that foreboding flash of lightening and why the hell did she call herself a Pendragon? Sure, Riley knew a fair bit about the Arthurian Legend, had been obsessed with it when she was growing up for the world of King Arthur and his noble knights of the round table had been a world far better, and much more interesting compared to the broken household she had grown up in; right up to her sixteenth birthday before her first change- then things got a little more complicated. But right now, her dreams didn't seem to correlate to the situation at hand; nothing had ever been mentioned about bodies of murdered woman with three grotesque scars within the legend, and she was pretty damned sure that Excalibur wasn't stuck in a stone somewhere.

"Riley?" Jeremy's voice sounded, forcing Riley from her uncomfortable thoughts and shoved her eyes to the dark eyes of her Alpha. As she looked around to study her pack she awkwardly shuffled on her feet when she realised she had been daydreaming during Jeremy's instructions. "Is everything okay?" Jeremy finished, fluttering her grey orbs to Karl who had a humorous twinkle shining in his eyes and a small smirk etched to the corners of his lips.

"I'm fine." She started as she crossed her arms over her chest as if too pull away from the conversation.

"Anyway, Elena and Antonio I want you to take the west side of the forest, while myself, Clayton and Karl will take the north." Jeremy expressed as he looked towards the relevant parties. "That leaves Nicholas and Riley to take the east side."

"And if the creatures in our section? What then?" Elena questioned as she stood quite comfortably at Clayton's side as her husband draped his large, heavy arm across her shoulders, obviously a little apprehensive with the idea of separating. But, when it came to protecting his alpha or his mate, the wolf within him would always choose his Packmaster.

"I don't want anyone taking on this thing alone." Jeremy voiced as he answered Elena's voiced concern. "Detail to us your location and wait for back-up. From what Riley has explained to us the strength of the Pack is the only asset we have going up against this thing."

"And if we loose it?" Nick queried, his arms firmly crossed over his chest as he stood next to his father and old friend.

"Then you track it but keep hidden, I don't want any of you ending up like the dead girls found in Bear Valley." Jeremy finished and when he was satisfied that none of them had any other questions he turned his back to his family and started for the woods with Clayton and Marsten right on his heels.

0-0-0

They didn't need to rush into the forest as a labyrinth of pathways had been created by who Riley believed to be the hunters of Bear Valley; the odd hunting trap was lying by their feet, but as she awkwardly stumbled down the well used pathway she was pleasantly surprised that her sensitive hearing was unable to hear the rustling of any movement within the forest in front of them. The question that kept swimming around her mind was how far would they get until an intrusive member of the local community would start raising hell when it came to the reason why they were wondering, alone, within the acres of forest that lay in front of them.

But, Riley was wishing the weather had been a little more accepting of their circumstances; it was firmly into the sub-zero temperatures, the snow was biting at her ankles and the sun was nowhere to be seen as the bleak, grey clouds covered the sky. It was a perfect day for tracking as the dim lighting would help to cover them and the tepid temperature would prevent them from overheating. Riley just laughed inwardly for she doubted overheating would be a problem; the pair of them were unable to move fast enough, as the forest had become rainforest thick and every part of the wooden floor was heaving with protruding tree roots, overwhelming ferns and thickets along with spindly vines as each of the plants fought for even an ounce of sunlight. She was an intruder in an environment perfect for animals. Now, unlike a lot of people she had the ability to turn into an animal and as the pair of them continued further on their trek both of them knew the inevitability of a change was imminent; they just needed to find the most appropriate area.

However, Riley was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when a familiar scent overwhelmed her rather pathetic sense of smell. She blinked a few times as her olfactory gland was overcome with the familiarity of something that reminded her of home. Riley just lifted her nose higher into the air as she realised they were coming closer to whatever it was that was radiating the scent of the creature.

Nick hadn't even realised that Riley was no longer following until he was unable to hear the familiar crunching of the undergrowth under her light feet. A frown was pressed to his features when he turned around to see her testing the air with a frightful familiarity. He just headed back towards her and reached out for her hand. When she felt his fingers curling around the palm of her hand he couldn't stop the smile from engulfing his lips when he observed her looking down to their clasped hands and then her grey orbs met his brown ones.

"Are you getting something?" Nick asked her gently as he came to stand next to her and allowed Riley time to suddenly go back to her smelling of the air.

"There's a scent upwind that reminds me of something back in England." Riley informed as she looked up at him with worry shining deeply within her grey orbs; Nick simply returned her gaze with a wary one of his own. "Our only chance of locating this thing is with one or both of us shifting. Our sense will be more accurate and we can get a better handle on tracking it."

"I think you could be right. I saw a thicket a little way back there." Nick voiced as he motioned his head behind the pair of them. "You can change there and ill see if I can find somewhere." Nick expressed and smiled when he saw her nodding her head in agreement before she trampled back the way they came and started searching for the area Nick had spoken about.

Riley was still in the final stages of her change when she felt something prodding at her side. Contorting her almost changed body she twisted to the side to her sudden intruder; she was a little surprised to come face to face with Nicky. Sure, the werewolves of the pack were not conscious when it came to stripping down naked in front of each other, Riley herself had tripped over Nick and Clay who were lounging around Stonehaven starkers, but one of the most private aspects of a werewolves life was when they changed and that was when each of them individually obtain their privacy. So as Riley's contorting body had its privacy intruded on by her Pack brother she knew something must have been amiss. Nicks dark brown wolfish eyes were hard with seriousness as his eyes bore deeply into her grey ones; he warned Riley to keep quite and as her body was caught off guard with the final tremors of her shift her ears swivelled when she heard the trampling of snow, snapping twigs and the joyous laughter of a party of hunters.

Riley then knew why her privacy had been stolen from her and she simply laid on the ground, her chest heaving as she recovered; Nick himself was standing to attention, his nostrils flaring, his ears twisting and his eyes flicking as his forepaws stood either side of her. As usual, he was always the protector. They must have been covered by the thicket for a further ten minutes, each of them patiently waiting until the hunters had completely vanished from view and out of their hearing range and once Riley had felt Nick's fur rubbing against her side and a quick lick to her muzzle she knew it was time for them to get on with their duty.

As the pair of them continued to follow the stench that was the creature, the pair of them couldn't keep the disdain from sparkling in their eyes as they arrived in a boggy area that no hunters had been bothered to venture. Riley knew that had anyone attempted to cross the bog, squelching boots, muddy footprints and the odd lost shoe would have been noted. There wasn't any. But, they didn't have the option of circling around. The scent that was present on the wind was bellowing in this direction and as Riley lifted her nose to the west the trail evaporated and her enhanced eyesight couldn't see the edge of the bog so neither of them knew how far a detour would take them and for how long. Mud was oozing between her toes and pads and the melting water from the snow was clumping the fur on her forelegs; Nick couldn't prevent a snorting laugh from tumbling from his wolfish lips as he observed the disdain in Riley's expression as she lifted one of her front paws and a clump of mud that was covering her entire paw. However, the young werewolf knew that Nick would have hooted with laughter if he could, because as she replaced her foot back to the ground it shot forward on the slick ground resulting in Riley to loose her balance and slipped into the mud.

As she regained her composure she glared towards her companion who just rubbed against her side, circling her body as he brushed his side along her flank, tail flicking across her muzzle, then walked around to her other side. Unconsciously Riley stumbled closer, ducked her muzzle under his throat and she held still. Anticipation quavered through his body, a palpable vibration against her cheek. He nuzzled her ear with a small nip as if asking if she was ready. She answered him by moving away, the pair of them not particularly excited for what they might find considering the seriousness of the situation that they were involved in. Riley just licked Nick's eye before she lifted her nose higher into the air. She had a better knowledge of the creature, of its scent and its behaviour, so it was her duty to be the lead tracker when it came to the pair of them. So, with careful movements Riley took a step forward and started her journey through the swamp.

However, as soon as Riley had reached the edge of the swamp, her limbs heavy and capped with mud her nose was overwhelmed with a scent so familiar dread as heavy as lead had her heart plummeting within her chest. Without even a bark she bolted, a snow trail dusting behind her as she sprinted through the forest, knowing she was making her own trail as Nick's panicked bark vibrated to her ears. She twisted and turned, jumped over fallen tree trunks or maneuverer herself around protruding tree roots; Nick barking his concern as he struggled to keep up with her.

He was beginning to panic; he had lost sight of Riley and as he continued to trample through the thick underbrush and the path he had created his nose was constantly searching for her scent on the air. He couldn't stop the threatening scenarios running through his mind, he just hoped to god he was overreacting. He quickened his speed, the dense cover of trees fading into an unfocused blur as he sped down the forest trail, completely ignoring the natural sounds of the forest. His only concern was locating Riley and what she had been tracking.

The older werewolf skidded to a stop, his paws causing him to stumble as the snow tumbled around his ankles as his eyes finally recognized the animalistic form of Riley. Riley lifted on of her front paws to the ground, the next following suit as she created a rhythm of movements, obviously penetrating the surface level of snow to try and uncover what had been covered by the snow. Nick moved towards her, his long legs shoving his animal form in her direction, his eyes never once leaving her as her light coat aiding in her camouflage against the bright background.

Nevertheless, as soon as he reached her, the young werewolf finished what she was doing and took a careful step back to allow Nick a chance to see what she had discovered. Nick just looked at her with one of his wolfish eyebrows raised in confusion, unsure as to what Riley was asking him. Riley let out a small whine as she lowered her muzzle towards the small crater of snow, her tongue curling around her nose as she readjusted her paws on the ground and encouraged Nick to look.

As Nick stalked forward his stomach churned at the sight. Lying in front of him was the body of a young boy that had been mutilated and disfigured. The front of the boys rust coloured shirt was bloodied and torn. Dried and clotted blood absorbed nearly every square inch of his tattered clothing. In between the rips of fabric, Nick could see the opening in the flesh. Three large gashes ran from the side to just above the navel; he also noticed that the cuts were not neat, rather the flesh appeared to have been shredded to ribbons.

Being a werewolf, Nick knew something about painful injuries. He'd seen it all- from laceration to amputations, scabs to scars, fractures to sprain. But for him to see it happened to a young boy, he was struggling with the comprehension of what was lying in front of him. The grotesque wounds were proof of the suffrage. He could only imaging what it was like to be badly injured, running through the dark of night with nothing but an short sleeved shirt for warmth, bleeding profusely and desperately trying to keep from falling unconscious, all the while avoiding the creature and fighting to escape. But as he lifted his eyes towards Riley, and the scars that marred the flesh of her back, and the story of her turmoil that she had yet to tell he knew that the distress she suffered would haunt her for the rest of her life.

But, the pair of them were suddenly pulled from their discovery when the sound of breaking twigs and the snapping of leaves lifted to their ears, their faces shoved towards the sound immediately and in sync. The pair of them moved onto stiff legs, their legs straight and strong with tension as they lifted themselves to full height, tails held vertically over their back while dark eyes were staring penetratingly towards the offending area. Nick curled his lips over his canine teeth, a low rumbling grown emanating from deep within his chest; Riley herself had her jaws gnashing together as she dangerously searched the forest for signs of movement and danger.

Nick brushed against Riley's legs, his body sulking against the snow as he stalked through the covered wooden undergrowth, managing to conceal himself at the same time. Riley noticed he had adopted a quick pace, his tail wagging as he peered intently on his quarry, obviously having identified a hidden object. The young wolf follow, forcing her eyes to concentrate on the silhouette of a figure standing behind a large shrub. Nick let out another warning grown and soon came to a stop just behind the figure and began to prepare his body to pounce. Riley watched, with her heart beating rapidly in her chest as Nick flung his body in the air, through the bush and out of sight. Nevertheless, a loud shrieking whine radiated to her ears and before Riley could even consider other plans of attack she barrelled her way through the bush and towards Nick who was painfully shaking his head as if he had just suffered with a heavy blow from a mutt. Riley rushed to Nick's side, her muzzle forcing his eyes to look down towards her, her medical mind was never far away, even when she was in wolf form and as she gazed at him, as his eyes came back into focus she realised that he was alright. It was in that moment that she turned to see what Nick had lunged at.

Lying on its side was a large five-foot stone gargoyle statue. Normally when Riley through of Gargoyles she thought of the happy, rather encouraging statues from the Hunchback of Notre dame or the elegant sculptures that decorated the sides of ancient Cathedrals as Protectors of the building; however, the sculpture that was in front of her was making her fretfully uneasy. Riley lowered her head and cautiously headed towards the figuring; something was so familiar as she observed all of the grotesque markings. The bat-like wings rose and curled with the humerus, radius and ulna bones visibly on display with a thickness and length of something Riley had never seen before, her heart also shuddered as she took in the enlarge phalange bones that were carpeted with veining skin that acted as the wing. However, it was not the intense volume of large muscles or the hideous feet and paws of the gargoyle that terrified Riley but it was its face. It's face was largely constructed of a mouth full of large canine teeth, its eyes were hard and its eyebrows overhung its eyes in a dark glare while the wolf like ears hung back like a furious wolf about to strike. The whole creature had Riley shrieking back in fear but as Nick pushed his shoulder into her, pushing her away Riley knew why. Nick had been frantically barking for her attention and he restlessly paced around a dark puddle of something. Before she even reached the pool of blood she knew what it was. The overwhelming scent of iron wafted to her nose, and she snorted her agreement and followed Nick at his side.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Together**

_Woman of the Otherworld Fanficion_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

As the density of the pools of blood became more pronounced, Riley did not fail to identify the thinning of trees as the two of them slowly emerged to the edge of the forest. Even through Riley could smell diesel, she wasn't able to pick up on the smell of tarmac, meaning they were to face a dirt road. She knew the chances of meeting a vehicle this far into the forest and so far away from Bear Valley was next to nothing but she still slowed and motioned to Nicky about the road up ahead. He in returned gave a nod of his head and the pair observed the building in front of them.

The road was in poor condition and it terminated at a run-down, possibly foreclosed motel that had its main reception standing flimsily at the front with hideous floral curtains, flaking paintwork and a decking that had collapsed underneath the weight of the fallen snow. Once upon a time Riley came to understand that the place must have welcomed tired customers to a holiday retreat that had a warm welcome with vibrant red paint, that had become pale and worn around windows, doors and pillars while the decking that was overwhelmed with vines of ivy or bramble was suffocating the buildings and threatening to tear them down once held lounging tourists and family barbeques. One of the outback cabins was so badly affected by the looming forest it was almost overcome by the plants and Riley had a momentary lapse in concentration as her mind was plagued with images from the Sleeping Beauty fairy-tale and the Castle that was surrounded by thick thorns.

Nick just took a cautious step onto the road and towards the rundown buildings. His form was hulked over but not so he compromised his movement. With efficient movement the pair of them stalked towards the motel to notice large pools of blood that littered the 'Car Parking' area and the broken or uprooted plants that had once been part of a beautiful planter that separated the roadways from the bedroom buildings and reception. Riley was struggling to keep her anxiety hidden as she observed the shattered windows, the abandoned and dusty cars and the furniture that lay broken or had been strewn across the pathways and tarmac. The werewolf knew that something terrible had happened here and as Nick and Riley entered into the first room her suspicions had been correct. A family- a mother, father and two young children had been annihilated by whatever had done this, their flesh littered with hideous wounds while smaller injuries marred their flesh by carrion birds or wild animals. Nick had to force Riley from her studying as he urged her onward; Jeremy would need to know as much as he could from their discovery, knowing that this place could hold the secrets that they needed to identify the creature that was murdering the woman of the town. They also needed to make sure that there were no survivors and that the murderer was not here; after all, they couldn't jeopardise their alpha's safety.

They rounded the corner to the first block of buildings and as they came into what they assumed was the central part of the hotel the pair of them stammered to a stop. Lying in front of them littered hundreds of bodies. Men were clinging onto their wives or children, young lovers holding onto their partners as they awaited their deaths or people fleeing for the forest as they hoped for an escape. Lying in front of them was a mass grave of bodies that had yet to be found, decimated by what had swept through the compound and murdered every single one of them. Riley's heart was heavy with emotion as she placed her paws delicately to the ground, careful not to disturb the bodies of the vacationers below her; Nick was at her side as the pair of them comforted the other, their eyes constantly sweeping across the courtyard. But, as they got further and further to the other block of buildings that was connected on either side by more hotel rooms Riley did not fail to notice more repulsive statues like the one they had found by the edge of the forest. Riley snorted her information towards Nick who fluttered his eyes towards the statues before he began to weave his way through the gargoyles that seemed to take up more space than the bodies; the older werewolf stood on his hind legs, rested his forepaws to the door and allowed his weight to push open the wood. The pair of them emerged into the room, not surprised to find two more bodies of two young men who had been strewn across the bed and another on the floor in the bathroom; however, in the corner of the main living room a large crater that moved into what appeared to be a cavern of stone seemed to disappear into the distance. A tunnel was leading somewhere and all Riley and Nick had to do was follow it. Instead Nick moved back into the snow, sat on his haunches raised his head and emitted a loud howl that remained constant and smooth. It was a sound similar to that of a cry from the horned owl. After Nick had alerted their pack of their position he trotted into the bathroom, signalling Riley that it was time to change back into their human form.

Riley was just pulling her arms into a long sleeved shirt when Nick emerged from the bathroom, his eyes searching for some cloths that would help to protect him from whatever may be within the walls of the cavern. The young werewolf just smiled a very sad smile towards her companion as she located a pair of unused boxer shorts and dragged them up her legs. It was in that moment that Riley felt Nick's hand curling around hers and flung her towards him. Nick's arms were around her instantaneously, squeezing her tight to his chest as Nick felt her face pressing into the crook of his neck, one of her hands clinging onto his neck while the other found the bottom of his shoulder. He was trying to ignore her trembling and as he clung to her he couldn't prevent his own heart from swelling with emotion as his eyes fell to the bodies of the men lying in front of him.

"Are you alright?" He whispered to her softly as one of his hands stroked her hair. He relinquished his hold on her a little when he felt her pulling back but her hand twisted into a fist as she held onto the shirt that he had located from the draw by the bed, her grey eyes were sparkling with so many emotions Nick was unable to identify one, but as he moved his hand through her thick side fringe Riley quickly regained her blank composure.

"How on earth could I possibly be alright?" She started, "We've just walked through a mass grave of innocent people and you're asking me if I'm alright?" Riley breathed, her features expressionless as she tried to compartmentalise everything they had experienced in the last few moments, and like always refused to show any sign of emotion.

"Sorry, stupid question." Nick mumbled in return as he pulled away from her, his hand actively searching hers and when she took it, Nick did not fail to notice the sudden comfort she took from his touch. "But we have no way in knowing what we may face down there." Nick informed as he motioned towards the massive hole in the wall that led towards something they had no idea about. "We might find something we're not going to like."

"We don't have any other choices." Riley expressed before she followed after Nick, noticing how the pair of them had been unable to locate any shoes and how Nick had chosen to wear a t-shirt that did very little to hide the bulging muscles of his arm and chest.

As soon as the two of them had finally prized away all of the fallen furniture the pair of them blanched due to the overwhelming aroma of rancid metal and decay. Riley and Nick could not stop themselves from blanching as the young woman lifted the sleeve of her borrowed shirt to cover her mouth and her nose to try and acclimatize to the sudden onslaught of smell. Nick glanced over his shoulder towards her, his hand tightening around hers as he walked further into the cavern. It was unclear how long they had been walking through the tunnel, but as the stone pathway started to fall downwards the pair of them were unable to make out the dark shapes that littered the sides of the walls. It was in that moment that Nick reached for the back pocket of his jeans and surprised Riley when he pulled out a small torch he must have found within the hotel room. But, as the beams of light that erupted into the passageway Riley was able to identify the forms that had only moments before been unable to identify. Bodies of woman were strewn to the sides, their blood staining the floor red as their bodies withered and decayed. Nick had to force Riley from looking down towards her feet, for he had made that mistake; he had no doubt that since they entered the tunnel they had been walking through the blood of hundreds of people and both of their bare feet were painted red.

"Nicky, look at this." Riley instructed as she guided him back towards the side of the wall, her eyes frowning in concentration as she took in the drawn pictograms that were etched into the cave walls. His lifted the torch light, his sensitive eyesight able to take in the drawing of a great battle of men going up against bat-like creatures, the men rallying behind a man with a sword glowing white and a young woman controlling magic and standing next to a large rabbit. As he continued to study the glyphs is seemed that the battle was neither lost nor won for both sides suffered a tremendous loss of men or beast. But what had Nick confused was the elegant scrawl that described whatever scene was being depicted. Nick just watched as Riley ran her fingertips gently over the carvings, her eyes twinkling with awe as if gazing at her family tree.

Nevertheless, she couldn't keep her emotions hidden as her usually regally hidden emotions came flooding to her features and her composure slipped; her mind was clouded with conflicting thoughts and emotions, remembered images of her dreams came flooding to the front of her mind as she took in the eerily familiar drawings that were resting on the wall in front of her. Confusion and sheer terror covered her features as her usual professional manner of dealing with human emotions and keeping herself detached from a potential personal situation was not helping her come to a logical reason.

How did she know the English translation of the Celtic words in front of her? Why did the drawings that depicted an ancient battle feel like she was remembering it? Why was she backing away from the realization like a whining child instead of facing it like the strong individual she knew she could be?

But all she could think was why was this happening to her? Why did she have to be the one plagued by nightmares, why did she have to be the one reading and understanding a lost language, because all she wanted was to be inconspicuous, to not be noticed and not be the centre of attention because she was not like Elena or Clay, she did not want attention of any kind because that meant someone would have a reason to hurt her.

She was getting frustrated in herself that she wasn't dealing with this situation, that she wasn't actively going about treating her nightmares or getting over her fear of what her subconscious was demanding she know. Elena was right. The last few days had seen her become more of a person, a person who spoke her mind, who defended her ideals and wasn't afraid to show her feelings; even if she didn't own up about how she felt emotional, mostly when it came to Nick.

Amid her panic Riley did the one thing Nick had told her not to do and she looked down and her stomach churned. Her feet and her ankles were smeared red with blood and the bile within her stomach started to rise up her throat. She was losing control and she was screaming at herself for being so emotional but considering she had just walked through a mass grave, she located the body of a young boy that had been mutilated, she was wearing the cloths of a murdered man, was understanding a language she never studied and now she was walking through the blood of the bodies lined at the sides of the walls she said to herself that she had every right to lose it.

Riley backed away from the wall, her eyes flashing to the bodies of the young woman that were draped to the corners of the room and the only thing she wanted to do was vomit and to alleviate the tenderness of her stomach. However, as if he had felt her terror Nick turned around and almost leapt onto Riley as he witnessed the volume of emotions that she was visibly displayed for Riley never ever lost her composure. Nick curled his tall figure around Riley's small figure and he consciously felt Riley's hand clinging onto his borrowed shirt as her arms folded onto her chest as she slotted herself perfectly into Nick's arms who placed a loving kiss to her hair and leant his cheek onto the top of her head.

"Everything's going to be alright Riley, I'm not going to let anyone or anything hurt you, you can count on that." Nicky whispered as the arm he had wrapped around Riley's back squeezed her tighter as Riley continued to tremble, the younger werewolf still struggling to compose herself as she allowed Nick's scent, arms and demeanour calm her. "What made you react this way?" He questioned gently as he gave her the space she needed, it seemed to Nick however, that his touch was keeping her calm as he allowed his hand to rest at the bottom of her back as she rested her forehead to his chest.

"Everything." Was all Riley could muster and relaxed a little more when she felt Nick chuckling; with all the places he could be laughing this was possibly the worst place to do it. However, as Riley pulled away a small smile was etched to her lips before something overcame her features as soon as her eyes took in a symbol drawn on the wall. "What is it?" Nick questioned, a frown on his expression as he struggled to keep her with him, his hands slowly falling from hers as she circled around him and back to the wall she had stepped away from only moments before. "Riley?"

"I've seen this mark before." Riley voiced as she momentarily looked over her shoulder to look at Nick and then back to the wall.

"What mark? Riley you're starting to worry me." Nick said as he padded towards her again, her sudden shift in behaviour and her cryptic words had him anxious.

"Seek for the Sword that made Stronger, In a stone is has dwelled, Destroy the one they call Saviour, Who is stronger than Dragon Scales, There shall be shown a token, That destruction is near at hand, For destiny has been spoken, And all is left unknown."

"How do you know that?" Nick asked, his eyes fluttering down towards her as Riley looked up at him, her hands still resting on the cold stone, the young werewolf trying to keep her mind preoccupied so she wouldn't look down at her feet.

"I don't know, I just look at it and I can tell you what it says." Riley expressed

"And this is the symbol you were talking about?" Nick inquired as his fingers trailed the circular symbol that intertwined and twisted together.

"Yes, it's the Celtic symbol or rune that means Strength."

"And you've never studied this before?"

"I'm a Doctor Nick, not a historian."

"Come to think of it, it does look a little familiar." Nick expressed as he sat on his hips "Wait isn't that…." Nick suddenly voiced, flinging his body towards Riley who was pulling at the lapel of her borrowed shirt and displayed the two and a half inch black inked tattoo that was vibrantly shining on her collarbone.

"Yeah." Riley stated before she turned back towards the wall of pictograms. "But I was born with this mark; I didn't actively go to a tattoo shop to get it."

"Shit…"

"Yeah, getting a little creeped out myself now." Riley mumbled.

But, for the second time that day Riley shot off without another word to Nick which had the elder werewolf rushing to her heels once again. Riley was constantly scanning the walls as she moved deeper into the cavern, the pair of them struggling to avoid the bodies of the young woman while they awaited the arrival of their Pack and Alpha. However, Nick could see what was happening before Riley did; the young Doctor hadn't noticed the rickety wood underneath her feet as she was so preoccupied with her studying.

"Riley!" Nick bellowed before he flung himself towards her, his arms curling around her figure only a fraction before the wood gave way and the pair of them were tumbling. The two of them were frantically clawing for any sort of footing, the young werewolves barely able to gain a firm hold on the jagged rocks as they continued to revolve down the cave walls. But, Riley prepared herself for an impact as the floor grew ever closer but she slowly opened her eyes when nothing came, only the resounding groan that tumbled from Nick's lips.

"Oh Nicky, I'm sorry." Riley grimaced as she heard him coughing as she slowly detangled herself from her position draped over his chest.

"Why is it you always land on me?" Nick grimaced as he grasped hold of Riley's offered hand as she aided him into a seated position. Riley just ran her hand though her hair as she sat on top of her lower legs as Nick regained his breath. "But you're otherwise okay, yeah?"

"Yeah, hunky-dory." Riley voiced and completely missed Nick's frown of confusion as he watched her getting to her feet before she held out her hand so she could help Nick to his feet.

"So where are we anyway?" Nick asked as the pair of them looked around to their new surroundings.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Was all she said before her attention was suddenly caught. "Bloody hell." Riley uttered as she headed to her left, her eyes transfixed to the alter that was resting at the other side of the room. It was in that moment that Nick walked up beside his companion and once again took hold of her hand as each of them individually scanning the runes of a language neither of them had seen before. Nick jus lowered his face back to Riley's asking a silent question regarding the words etched to the wall but as she shook her head the older werewolf realised that her language knowledge only stretched to ancient Celtic. "What goes on in this place?"

"I doubt anything good." Nick stated with concern etched to his voice as he took a cautious step towards the table that held something covered by a dirtied and tattered cloth. As soon as he pulled the tarp from the object Nick balked and took a step back, struggling to compose his bombarded senses as he invited Riley forward. Cautiously she moved up next to him and gazed down to the woman lying in front of them. Her ginger hair fanning out behind her, her pale skin marred with dirt and bruises and as Riley tried to get a better look at her body she was unable to identify any other wounds. She wasn't murdered like the other girls found within Bear Valley and as Nick lowered the cloth down to her stomach she realised why; drawn on her skin was a black tattoo of the Celtic symbol Riley had. Obviously whoever did this to her knew this mark was important and had sacrificed this woman for a reason. Nick just looked towards Riley before the pair of them were abruptly pulled from their conversation when they heard the howling calls of their pack.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

When Nick heard the creaking of the upstairs floorboards he simply lowered his newspaper, unsure as to who could be stirring considering Elena, Clayton and his father had retired for the night. Sure, it could be Jeremy heading to the kitchen to prepare his evening tea but from the sounds of the footsteps the perpetrator was far too light. Normally within Stonehaven walls there really was no set bedtime, with Clay and Elena getting up to activities he really didn't need to think about while Jeremy tended to excused himself to his studio for hours at any given time. But, during a potential hostile situation, his pack always seemed to find excuses to disappear or to console their partners or family.

Which was why Riley's seclusion hadn't come as a surprise. He knew that Riley was struggling to deal with the several different aspects of the situation at hand, what with the murdered girls, the bodies at the motel, the police scrutinizing the Pack's every movement and finally the realization that this whole thing revolved around her. For the first time in her life she was the centre of attention and she hated every second of it. But, Nick had a nagging feeling within his heart that she was hiding from the people she considered her family; Jeremy and the others had acted very differently compared to the pair of them as they discovered the mass grave for themselves. Riley had been the only one to physically and emotionally react to the data illustrated on the walls of the cavern, more so when Jeremy had discovered the possibility of Werewolf involvement in these ancient battles. However, it wasn't a revelation to Nicky when he surveyed Riley from a distance as she dealt with the circumstances with the calmness of any Doctor about to undergo a surgery they had completed many times before, but Nick also knew that Riley refused to show her weaknesses in front of Clayton or Karl in fear of being classed as fragile minded and imprudent. Nevertheless, Nick feared that Riley thought she was the only one feeling this way when in actual fact Nick was horrified by the mass grave and anxious about what was to come.

A few years ago he had heard footsteps this early in the morning, he would have figured it'd be Pete provoking Clayton as he teased him about Elena's isolation; but considering the footsteps were not thundering booms echoing in the hallways it wasn't Clayton brooding. These days, his first thought was Riley and was she about to slip away to do something stupid or disappear for months without even a text or an apology. Deep down Nick knew he was being senseless for Riley never went back on her word to the point of being stubborn; he also realised he was misjudging the young lady for he trusted her with his life and he knew that she would die to protect her family and her Pack.

However, as the padding footsteps grew ever closer the werewolf closed his paper and folded it in half before reaching for the mug placed on the table top in front of him. He knew he should have headed to bed hours ago, but a nagging feeling at the back of his mind knew he was waiting up in hopes Riley would emerge from her bedroom seeking council; after all his desire to see her never diminished during the hours she locked herself away.

His sentiments surprised him, clouded with emotions as he sat on his own with a paper and a mug of tea. Had he been back in New York he would have been out having a drink, before being accosted by a faceless but beautiful woman before realizing he wouldn't be heading home; that being the time said woman undid his zipper. A sigh tumbled from his lips as he came to understand that too many women had gone down on him in the back of moving vehicles. It seemed that as he thought back to the events of the last few days he couldn't care less about the trivial affections of the woman he once pursued because his heart wasn't in it anymore; that realization left him terrified at the idea considering he knew the troubling truth.

But, he was bitterly pulled from his pondering when his iPhone started ringing from its position on the table; the strong vibrating caused the phone to clatter against the wooden surface before Nick cautiously picked up the offending object and simply looked towards the unknown caller ID.

"Are you going to answer that?" said a voice. It was a woman's voiced, a voice he would always remember. Nick looked over to see his friend, Riley was clinging onto the blanket she had wrapped around her shoulders; it seemed the tepid temperature outside was getting the better of her. Nick however just cancelled his call before he flicked his eyes back towards Riley with whom he smiled.

"I don't know the caller." Nick stated with a smile "Besides, who would be calling me at three in the morning?"

"A very eager client?" Riley asked with a very small smile, Nick granting her a smile of his own because of the truth in her words. Her casual acceptance of his womanizing ways still amazed him; sure, when she had first arrived and became part of the Pack Nick was possibly sleeping with two to three different woman a week, but back then he didn't understand how to be with just a single woman and he sure as hell couldn't have imagined himself falling in love. He didn't know just how much he would rely on her friendship and companionship. He just thought it was because she was a werewolf and unconsciously believed that she would hook up with Clayton due to his standing within the Pack and he was the logical mate, but their first meeting had not gone well and then five years later he met Elena. It was during those five years that Nick had really come to know her, never having had a woman as a best friend. Sure, in the beginning when he realised Clayton wasn't interested he had tried to seduce her, however Riley had squandered any chances he may have had with her when she hid her emotions within herself. It seemed her emotions were locked up tight and she refused to show them to anyone. Nick quickly gave up and fell into the arms of another woman, but that never stopped him from trying.

For years he had flirted, for years he had teased her and even though at the time he thought it was fruitless he could never have been more wrong; from his incessant teasing and flirting Riley had accepted him for who he was and still she chose to become his closest friend. His attentions had also allowed Riley to grow into the woman she was now because she ultimately stood up for herself and showed the Pack the fire she possessed when she was in the right frame of mind and the sharp wit that she directed to counter Nicks banter. Riley was the most important person to him now and he would do anything he could to protect her for his playful advances in the beginning had changed to a scorching desire to be with her. It was in that moment that he noticed her shivering and the wolf within him stirred, his mind purely focused on comforting her.

"Come here." Was all he said as he spoke to her gently, his voice pulsating through her body as Nick held out his hand for her, guiding the freezing young Doctor towards him before directing Riley to his lap. Riley in turn leant on his chest, her head resting to his shoulder as she pulled the blanket over her figure a little more and draped the corners over Nick's knees. Riley collapsed further into Nick's embrace when she felt his arms curling around her figure, his arm supporting the bottom of her back while the other covered her hands. "How are you fairing after today?" Nick asked her gently as he cupped his hand on her cheek, moving the hair from her face in the process as Nick cuddled her closer to try and warm her.

"A little overwhelmed if I'm honest." Riley expressed with a weak smile, her eyes moving from Nick and towards their clasped hands as she gained the comfort she had been desperately seeking during her time of solitary.

"Hardly surprising considering the information we gained today."

"Not forgetting the unanswered questions."

"Yes, them too." Nick chuckled as he rested his forehead to Riley's hair. "I have no doubt that we will work it out eventually." Nick finished and cautiously looked down towards the beautiful woman sitting on his lap who seemed lost in her own thoughts to reply.

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're meant for something important?" Riley asked, her eyes frantically searching Nick's features and his eyes as she tried to seek out the answers she required, oblivious to her complete change in conversation. "That something's fighting it's way to the surface but remaining hidden until the opportune moment?"

"Sometimes." Nick voiced with confusion etched into his voice. "When the occasion calls for it. But I don't think that's what you meant." Nick finished with a frown as he craned his neck so he could get a better look at Riley's expression. The small smile that was on her lips made Nick understand that his answer wasn't the one she was looking for. "Do you?"

"Every single day of my life." Riley stated, the young Doctor letting out the air in her lungs as she finally moved her eyes to gaze up at her friend. "I guess seeing my tattoo on the cavern wall just reminded me of that fact."

"Today was very difficult for all of us sweetheart, you can't blame yourself for reacting the way you did. Now I know you're kicking yourself for getting all emotional because you're not an emotional person, but I don't judge you because of it. If it helps to ease your mind I'm a little apprehensive about what's going to happen in the coming days." Nick voiced to her gently, his words easing Riley's nerves as she felt the pressure of Nick's hand squeezing hers.

"Last time I felt this way we lost Pete, I don't think my heart can take another loss." Riley expressed quietly, her voice so low Nick would have missed her sentiment, but due to watching her lips move Nick understood just how deeply and how emotional she was feeling throughout this whole thing.

"Surely you know in you're heart that even though our numbers have diminished the Pack is at its strongest? We're all together, we're protecting each other and we're not taking any unnecessary risks?"

"I know that." Riley started. "I guess I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen."

"Maybe it's your minds way of telling you to follow your heart, to try and figure out what your heart is trying to tell you and to uncover the secrets of your dreams?"

"But that's what scares me. The last time I followed my heart and left it in control something terrible happened."

"More terrible than a motel full of murdered people?"

"Things happened Nick, things that I wish I can forget and never speak of it again because it was those circumstances that led to my mother and sister's death." Riley said painfully, the young werewolf moving her features away from her companion so she was looking into the flickering flames of the fire that was burning brilliantly in the furnace of the living room fireplace. Her mind was momentarily occupied as the disturbing images of the bodies of her family flooded the front of her mind before the lifeless eyes of the people found in the motel mass grave quickly replaced them. Riley simply closed her eyes, shaking her head a little as she struggled to shake the images from her mind.

"Tell me?" Nick asked, his eyes heavy with emotion as he lifted his hand to Riley's chin, pulling her attention back to him unknowingly helping to erase Riley's mind with the images that had momentarily plagued her.

"I can't, because I don't want thing to change between us." Riley implored, her heart heavy with emotion but her features were as vacant as a vampire.

"You will have to tell me eventually." Nick sighed, his features dropping a little but as he curled the loose tendrils of Riley's hair around the shell of her ear his heart trembled within his chest when he felt Riley moving into his embrace.

"Not tonight." Was all Riley said as she smiled a very small smile, her other hand coming to intertwine with his fingers. Nick just nodded his head soothingly before placing a kiss to her hair once again. "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you were a normal human being instead of a werewolf?"

"I've not really thought about it." Nick expressed. "I mean I'm a hereditary werewolf that has grown up in the Pack so I've never really considered anything else."

"So falling in love and having kids never crossed you mind?"

"When I was little the idea of a female werewolf was laughable; we never thought it would happen. Until we discovered you and then Elena was bitten. I guess back then I knew that if I was ever gunna have a kid it wouldn't be from a loving relationship. How could I even consider that seeing as I would have to take the child from his mother."

"It must have been so hard on your father." Riley implored as she searched Nick features with her eyes.

"He doesn't really speak about my mother and I don't ask. I know how much he loved her and how long he struggled with not being with her. Maybe that's why I don't seek out a relationship because I've seen the devastation it can leave if it doesn't work out. Besides, I doubt I can ever shake my reputation now, I've been at it to long."

"Have you ever tried?" Riley asked with a smile.

"No" Nick laughed. "No I haven't. I guess I've just not found the right woman yet." Nick finished before turning his attention directly towards Riley who smiled at him comfortingly before she shivered and pulled herself closer into Nick's side; Nick mirrored her movements and hugged her closer before the pair of them fell into comfortable silence.

0-0-0

Deep down Jeremy knew that his desire to speak to someone was somewhat stupid; he was the Alpha of the North American Werewolf pack for goodness sake, he didn't have to justify his orders to his wolves, and he certainly didn't need to discuss a potentially disturbing newspaper article with them at half three in the morning. Inwardly he was kicking himself for his momentary distraction earlier that morning. Usually he would study the local newspaper, scouting the words from the Journalists for anything potentially hostile directed towards Stonehaven with only the odd suspicion or rumor being noted, but it seemed with the plans and strategies he was concocting for the days hunt had made him forget his routine coffee and newspaper session; and now he was kicking himself for it.

The newspaper was inundated with pictures of a missing woman, the headline causing the dread in Jeremy's stomach to freeze like a glacier from Antarctica as he read the spiteful words concerning the police and the possible suspects hidden away at Stonehaven. Normally Jeremy would have batted away the words, but as his sharp eyes studied every single word and every single line his concern only grew. It seemed the locals were demanding the Police to make an arrest or blamed them for their complacency concerning the evidence gained at the murder sights or their general attitude towards the whole case that had Bear Valley fearful and angry. But it wasn't just the harsh words pointed towards the Police that had him worried, but the text directed punitive suspicions at Stonehaven; none of the usual alleged Sex Cult or demonic worshippers that were usually used to describe Stonehaven, instead Jeremy read the awful words stating that each and every one of them were conducting the murders for their own pleasure, mutilating and exploring the bodies of the woman they have killed for fun. He even had the guts to doubt Riley's prognosis and autopsy results she had given to the police; it seemed he had been given all the relevant information considering Riley had been given help by a local nurse to make sure she wasn't bias or hiding anything from the local PD. Jeremy had been surprised that she had been able to keep the poison a secret considering she had found elements of it at the murder site, claiming it was just another part of mutilated flesh.

Nevertheless, the article could possibly hinder their investigation; with the natives angry and thirsting for blood he knew that they could potentially get in his Pack's way as they wonder through town trying to pick up any indication of the creatures movements and Jeremy was also concerned about Nick regarding the Deputy since the officer had seemed to take an instant dislike to the Graphic Designer. He also worried about the local diner that provided the essential service of providing his pack with the food they required if they were hunting for a long period of time. It was no lie that the young woman who was missing was in fact the woman Riley and Nick had found as a sacrifice in the cavern at the motel and he was also certain that she was a waitress at the diner, knowing that she had served them on multiple occasions during their visits into town.

However, he was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when he heard a quiet knock on his study door before the image of Antonio came into view. He could see the deep purples shining under Tonio's eyes, but with his bleariness Jeremy couldn't help but inwardly smirk, as it seemed Antonio must have been dozing until he woke in some place that wasn't his Stonehaven bedroom.

"I saw the light, I thought you could do with some company." Was all Antonio said as he emerged into the room, closing the door behind him before coming to stand in the middle of the room with his hands resting by his hips.

"Thank you, but it's getting late we should all be getting some rest." Jeremy expressed as he closed the paper and laid it to rest on the desk tabletop.

"Nick and Riley were still awake when I walked passed and I dread to think what Clay and Elena were up too." Antonio expressed as he folded himself into one of the large armchairs positioned in front of the burning hearth that warmed the study. "Besides, I doubt sleep is on anyone minds considering the day we had today."

"It was a very trying day for all of us, especially for Riley." Jeremy countered as he moved around the side of his ancient desk, two glasses held within his hands as he prepared a drink for the pair of them.

"Maybe that's why she's discussing something with Nicky when I woke." Antonio replied as he took the glass he was being offered from his Alpha.

"Or that fact you're just getting old my friend." Jeremy said with an uncommon smile on his lips as he too moved into the chair next to his friend and took a large sip of the whiskey he had placed into their glasses.

"You'll be a Grandfather soon enough Jeremy, then you'll understand my predicament." Antonio replied with a large smile, one that only grew when he noticed the sudden colour draining from Jeremy's slightly Asian looking skin.

"That is something I would rather not think about." Jeremy voiced in return as he took a small swig of his drink.

"They're the future of our Pack my friend and I know for a fact that Nick is not thinking of kids and doesn't plan on having them." Antonio smiled, "Besides, you've never had a problem with children before? Why so worried?"

"I'm not worried, I mean it's been so long since we've had cubs running through the Stonehaven halls, I just don't think Elena or Clay are ready for kids, and they may never be."

"It's been a rough couple of years for them, but they've never been stronger. You never know they might surprise you." Antonio answered back, his eyes searching the face of his alpha as they discussed a topic they very rarely wanted to face.

"I guess our hopes lie with Riley." Jeremy countered nothing but seriousness in his expression, an expression which was mirrored on Antonio's expression.

"I do hope you're joking."

"Come on Tonio, she's not that bad. I mean, she's a very attractive young lady, a little bit of a recluse granted, but she's very loyal and very gentle towards those she cares about. She would make a very good mate in the future."

"Besides from the fact that she's extremely shy, has a hard time standing up for herself and struggles to let anybody in." Antonio argued, never once having uttered those words about the woman in question considering he thought of her more like a daughter than a pack mate; Jeremy knew that Riley relied on Antonio's comfort.

"And the fact she's completely in love with your son." Jeremy said with an uncommon smile as he lifted his glass to his lips and drank, inwardly smiling at Antonio's balking.

"What did you just say?" Antonio questioned, momentarily hesitating, his glass hovering by his lips as his mind struggled to comprehend the words Jeremy ha just spoken.

"Come now Antonio, don't pretend you haven't noticed. " Jeremy chimed and he rested his wrists to his knees. "They spend nearly all the time they can together, Riley is far more confident when Nick is around and she hasn't even looked at another man. I was hoping that she may have partnered herself with Pete but it was obvious that the friendship she had with Nick was far stronger than anything she could possibly have hoped to have gained with Peter."

"But Nicholas has never mentioned anything regarding his affections for Riley, hell everyone in the Supernatural community considers him the Pack's playboy whose amorous exploits are all he's known for."

"You're telling me that you haven't noticed the radically reduced number of woman brought back to you home in New York; that he's taking a more active role within the Pack Antonio and he has far more contact with Riley than anyone. He's becoming a fighter Antonio, and a damned good one."

"Well when you put it that way." Antonio said with a small smile, embarrassed that he hadn't picked up on the obvious signs in his son's behaviour.

"He may not even mentally think that he's changed, I doubt he's even registered the fact that his heart is no longer into seducing woman and instead he's looking for stability and a life that Clayton and Elena have made for themselves. I have no doubt that is because of Riley, a woman who is just as lost and empty as he is."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

She was beginning to tire of the ache within her hands; the air around her was chilly and uncomfortable as she padded through the long corridors of Stonehaven. All she wanted to do was rest her hands to the familiar keys of a piano and allow her hands to become lost to the music. It was a skill very few people knew about and one she had kept hidden from the likes of her Pack considering she knew the view certain individuals would have concerning this hobby. Again, they had never come to visit her while she was in London so they were unaware of the piano that dominated the side of her living room; but her hands felt like they did after hours of playing and the stress that was refusing to leave her body would have been easier to deal with if she had the ability to have a few hours to herself.

So that was why she was spending a Saturday in a way very differently to her usual routine. Normally she would have a lie in before heading to the local theatre to meet with a few fellow musicians for a much needed practice session considering they provided the music for several, admittedly low key productions, but she was playing all the same. That was the reason why she was craving the need to play a little more than usual. Today was her practice day and instead all she had planned was a long-distance phone-call with a witch she had never met to discuss the troubling discoveries of yesterday.

They had spent hours looking over the carvings on the walls trying to understand them; she knew that none of them could give any decent answers as they were just as in the dark as she was. However, the one thing she did take from yesterday was her waning patience with the constant looks of sadness or comfort pointed in her direction; she didn't want their comfort, she wanted answers and she was going to do all in her power to make sure she got them.

However, another impatient clanging of the breakfast bell pulled her from her thoughts and caused her to walked down the large wooden staircase and towards the living room. But, in her bleary eyed state it seemed she missed her step; before she was able to right her position she felt her foot slipping from the edge of the wooden staircase and was immediately heading towards the stairs, this time it was her bottom that met the wood and not her foot. Why was she the one who was gravitationally challenged?

"You know, it's your foot that's supposed to help you down the stairs." A voice resounded and immediately pulled Riley from her pain. The young Doctor simply flung her head back to try and push the hair away from her features to see who was coming towards her. It was not surprising to see Antonio heading around the staircase banister and towards the stairs; it seemed he was to help her once again considering he helped her evacuate the Explorer when she slipped and made herself look like a fool.

"And here I was thinking us werewolves are supposed to have the grace of our animal counterpart." Riley mumbled as Antonio smiled down towards her, his hands held out in front of him as he invited Riley to take his hands to help her up. As soon as she grasped hold of his hands he pulled her to her feet and continued to smile when he watched her rubbing at her backside.

"Come on, they're waiting for us." Antonio chimed before giving Riley a wink and moved through the living room and towards the doorway that led to the kitchen. The young Doctor simply followed her elder, cricking and stretching out her back as she went.

The floorboards were creaking under her weight as she headed towards the kitchen, the morning sunshine twinkling though the dense branches of tree's and onto the wooden floor of Stonehaven; had it not been so cold Riley would have been inclined to go outside for a run, but as the young lady clung onto her jumper a little tighter she really didn't fancy getting hypothermia.

However, the sudden warmth that overwhelmed her senses managed to calm Riley's mood and shivering as she headed into the kitchen. For once the closeness of her Pack comforted her as she took in the playful tussling of Nick and Clayton in the corner, and the fond expression that had overwhelmed Elena's features as she placed a hefty plate of pancakes onto the table. As the Doctor moved deeper into the kitchen she could see Jeremy discussing something calmly with Karl, whose impeding form seemed to take up the whole of the doorframe. It was mornings like these that she missed the most. Each of them were so care free, so distracted by the companionship of each other that they did not care for the upsetting situation that had occurred yesterday for they had each other, and for a werewolf that was all you needed.

"Riley! There you are!" Elena cried, a large smile taking hold of her features when she saw Riley padding into the room, the young Doctor rubbing at her eyes with the heel of her hands, trying to ignore the sudden attention of her Pack, each of them, baring Antonio had turned to face her and she couldn't stop her heart from trembling within her chest when she took in the most beautiful smile Nick gave her from across the room. "Care to give us a hand?" Elena finished and let out a relieved sigh when she noticed Riley nodding her head and heading towards her.

No later than ten minutes, Riley was seated at the table next to Clayton and Karl, her stomach audibly growling as she turned to face her Alpha who was seated at the top of the table and taking first pickings. After all, it was only polite to let the head of your Pack eat first. As soon as he had tasted his first pancake he allowed the rest of them to eat and for once, Riley wasn't surprised when Nick dived for the chicken; it was his favorite after all.

For what seemed like only seconds Riley could see Antonio and Clayton moving in for their second course with Nick following close on their heels. However, as Riley was quite happily tucking into her unusual American style pancakes she was not surprised when Jeremy started discussing something that must have happened the evening earlier.

"Have you heard anything more from your contact Karl?" Jeremy asked as he shoveled another sausage chunk into his mouth. Riley wasn't surprised that when she looked from her plate and towards her Alpha that she wasn't the only one confused by his statement.

"Jeremy?" Elena asked with a frown, obviously oblivious to the new information that Jeremy had yet to give to them, her eyes frantically searching his before moving towards Karl, not missing the smug look that was overtaking his features.

"I may have been able to make sense of some of the information we discovered yesterday." Karl stated, his expression blank but his eyes twinkling with humour considering he was in the know compared to the rest of the Pack whom had been left in the dark.

"What do you mean by information?" Nick countered, a mouthful of chicken having been pushed into his cheek, as he looked towards his elder who was almost twice his size. "Has one of you're contacts come through with a lead?"

"In a way." Karl said, his knife cutting into a pancake, as he spoke he never once moved his eyes to the person speaking as if his attention was solely focused on the food on his plate.

"And?" Riley implored, struggling to keep her impatience hidden as she spoke to the man; it seemed she was the only one to notice the potential emotional slip and quickly recovered her composure. "Has this thing happened before?" She asked casually.

"One of them may have mentioned something about discovering a group of bodies being found in a back alley in Sydney Australia."

"Was anything done about it?" Elena questioned, her food momentarily forgotten as she gazed towards a man she was struggling to accept into her pack.

"The Pack Alpha discarded the evidence as a human problem as the deceased were rapists and petty thieves."

"That's not the point." Nick voiced evenly as Karl nodded his head agreement.

"That's what I said and have demanded he get back to me with the information we're missing. Unfortunately I'm still waiting for a phone call to understand what really happened."

"So now all we can do is wait?" Clayton balked as he shot his eyes towards his Alpha. "We potentially have a unknown raging psychopathic creature going about murdering young innocent woman, sacrificing them to fuck knows what god and all we're doing is waiting? They're already one step ahead and we're struggling to pick up the pieces!" Clayton defended, his pent up anger and frustration bubbling to the surface as his emotions got away from him. Riley just shot Nick an anxious glare, one that he returned before Jeremy coolly countered Clayton's sudden outburst.

"We're doing all we can." Was all he said to his adopted son, his expression blank as he continued to graze at the eggs he had piled up on his plate.

"Besides, we all know that we're still unsure as to what we're up against and we no longer have the numbers to split up and look for the information that may or may not help us." Antonio inputted, nothing but seriousness shining on his countenance as he spoke to his pack mates, a little surprised when Karl nodded his head in agreement.

"But what about Riley?" Nick asked, his voice low and full of emotion. Riley just looked towards him, unsure as to why her heart was thumping in her chest as he implored towards his alpha and his father, as it seemed her safety was his biggest concern. Nick obviously felt her eyes studying his somber expression and turned to face her, returning the very small smile she gave him before turning towards Jeremy who was looking between the two of them and towards Antonio with a look neither of them were able to decipher.

"We will do all we can to make sure she is kept safe…." Jeremy started.

"I really don't need you guys to sugar coat this thing!" Riley interrupted, her words surprising her pack as she spoke to them. "For all we know I could get hit by a bus tomorrow before I get murdered by this thing. All I care about is stopping it before it kills another innocent woman or someone I care about."

"Then what do you suggest?" Jeremy asked.

"Go into town, get a feel for the locals, see what they're feeling and what they think is going on." Riley stated, unsure what to think when she noticed Elena, Clayton and Nick nodding in agreement.

"Riley's right Jer." Elena started as she turned towards him, "Bear Valley has an extensive rumor mill and we maybe able to get a human insight to this whole thing instead of going into this with a werewolf mindset."

"I understand." Was all Jeremy said, "But we will split into teams to investigate after we've spoken to Paige."

0-0-0

Riley woke with a start. Her body was trembling, chest heaving and her heat palpitating within her chest as she felt the chair bouncing underneath her; the armchair reacting to the sudden flailing of her body as she was dramatically pulled from her dreams. She could only flicker her eyes, her eyelids painful as her eyes continued to droop due to her comfortable position entwined within Nick warm jumper. The Doctor was trying to gain an element of familiarity as she slowly and carefully heaved her body into a more comfortable position, her eyes fluttering towards Nick's concerned look as the rest of their Pack filtered into the study, a room with the only available computer barring Riley's laptop.

Sweat was plastered to her body as she continued to regulate her breathing and her accelerated heart rate, struggling to push past the tormenting images that were refusing to extract from her mind. Riley simply let her head fall back so it was resting on the back of the armchair as she gazed out of the window to quietly watch the fluttering snowflakes that were landing on the ground.

The werewolf rubbed at her eyes, feeling the uncomfortable clamminess of her skin as she pulled at the sleeves of Nick's jumper to try and warm her hands. But she also did not want to speak of what weighed on her mind. Although Riley could see it on her pack mates faces as they gazed towards her; expressions of concern or worry while Clayton and Karl shot her looks of agitation or loathing. It seemed they blamed her for the circumstances that the Pack were currently involved in and as she sat within the walls of the study, looking out of the window wrapped in one of Nick's jumpers she couldn't help but believe them.

But she was exhausted. Shattered from staying up half the night because she feared of what she might see while she was sleeping; trapped in the same painful thought conversation that was the predictable coda of her life. Her fervid mind left her feeling disheartened and perplexed; of all the people, of all the species, and of all the circumstances, this situation had to evolve around her. Her dreams were getting far too complicated as she saw images of a young woman trying to defend her home. She was seeing hundreds of faces she didn't recognize while others became so prominent within her mind she was struggling to compartmentalize what was real and what was fantasy. Did she somehow possess the information they required? With enough time would she be able to identify what this creature was and could she somehow search for an answer that would lead to its death? All of these unanswered questions flew around her mind and with the looming appointment her pack had with Paige, the recuperation she needed to try and counteract a years' worth of disrupted sleep was inhibiting the efficiency of her mind as she tried to figure out as to what and why this creature was attacking her, her pack and the inhabitants of Bear Valley.

She looked into the cozy space that was the study; she could see Elena preparing the computer for their Skype call with Miss Winterbourne while Nicky was attending to the fire that had died due to her neglect. Nevertheless, it was when Jeremy walked into the study that she lifted her tired gaze, her grey eyes staring directly into his dark ones as she tried to focus on him. Jeremy had dark purple bruises shining under his eyes and Riley noticed that the shadow of stubble was starting to overcome his jaw. How could she have been so blind and inconsiderate? Here she was threating over her future, her past and what was too come and she had never once considered her pack. This was a stressful situation that was affecting all of them and she was moping around the place thinking she was the only one affected by this thing. Jeremy had to juggle his responsibilities as Pack Alpha at the same time as trying to understand why this creature was attacking them. He had to remain strong and impassive as the numbers of dead bodies began to pile up to unacceptable numbers while dreading the possibility that one of his own could end up in a body bag or seriously injured. Nevertheless, as Riley took in the weary forms of her pack mates she couldn't help but think about what each of them were thinking.

Elena had to try and reign in Clayton's furious temper as he raged about the dangers Riley had brought them. The only thing Karl thought about was protecting himself at the same time as sucking up to Jeremy and finding new imaginative ways of insulting her. While Antonio and Nick had the added pressures in protecting their weakest due to the close bonds they had formed with her.

Riley was quickly pulled from her thoughts when she felt rather than saw Nick coming to perch on the large arm of the lounger she had inhabited. It seemed that there was no place left for him to sit and as she smiled up towards him she allowed the older werewolf to take hold of her hand and give it a comforting squeeze. But it was the Skype calling tone that brought everyone to attention. It seemed that the unanswered questions of the previous day were about to be answered and as Elena accepted Paige's call the young Doctor couldn't calm the anxiety that was swimming at the pit of her stomach.

The witch looked nothing like she was expecting. Paige must have been no older than twenty-five, with her long curly brown hair falling to her hips and barely able to be tamed as her locks, framed her average features but sharp green eyes. Riley's enhanced senses took in her appearance and she couldn't help but think that she was remarkably cute; from what Clayton and Elena had told her, that even though she looked pretty and even though she meant well she could be incredibly annoying.

"Elena, hey!" Was all the young lady managed to say before the screaming of what seemed to be a young girl reverberated over the line. Riley just shared another rather concerned looked towards Nick who was still clinging onto her hand as they heard Paige screaming back until she turned back to her computer screen with a rather awkward expression. "Sorry about that, Savannah is being a little hard work at the moment."

"Is she okay?" Elena questioned with a rather fond smile. Riley knew why Elena was being so considerate to the young girl; after all she had been the one to rescue her from the compound that had kidnapped her about half a year ago. Savannah was also the reason behind Elena's sudden motherly instincts that had plagued her over the last few months. From what Riley had seen and what Elena had told her the werewolf was both terrified but excited over the whole thing. It seemed that Savannah was the reason Elena was considering children.

"She will be." Paige said with a smile. "A lot has changed for her over the last few months so it's just going to take her a little while to settle. But anyway, you're phone call sounded pretty urgent. What is it that I can help you with?" Paige finished, locating a pen and paper as she prepared to write down the information they were about to give her.

"Straight to the point, a girl after Riley's own heart." Elena joked as she looked towards Riley who couldn't stop the smirk from moving onto her lips before the older werewolf turned back towards the witch. "Has anything been reported in your area concerning a couple of murders that have happened here in Bear Valley?"

"Nothing has been said here in Boston. But you wouldn't have asked for my help if you weren't a little bit suspicious."

"We've located five bodies of local woman with their necks slit and three large scratches etched onto their backs." Jeremy started. "Under further investigation we believe the bodies were not sexually assaulted and had poison present in their wounds."

"Poison?" Paige questioned as a deep frown engulfed her features.

"That's right." Riley voiced as the rest of her pack turned to face her. "We've been unable to identify it but the poison works in a way similar to that of Komodo dragons. As soon as the poison is in the blood stream it renders the victim's nervous system useless and is also the likely cause of their deaths."

"This is Doctor Riley Thompson, we spoke of her a great deal when the ordeal with Ty Winslow occurred." Elena mentioned as she fluttered her eyes between her pack mate and her friend.

"Of course, it's nice to finally meet you." Paige expressed with a smile, a smile that was returned with a nod and a smile from Riley. "And you're sure this is connected to whatever is killing these woman?"

"We find that mutts are unable to hold back their instincts when murdering their victims and none of the usual werewolf kill signs were displayed on the bodies." Clayton stated as his emotionless expression made sure he kept Paige at arms length; it seemed these two would never see eye to eye.

"So why do you need me?"

"Elena will be sending you some photos taken from the most recent murder site. Yesterday Nick and Riley found a motel full of dead vacationers just on the outskirts of Bear Valley and located a hidden cavern with disconcerting pictograms etched to the walls. We're hoping you may be able to shed some light onto what they might depict." Jeremy uttered as he looked towards Paige who seemed to be sorting through the files of her computer so she could click on her downloaded files. Riley, along with her other pack brothers remained silent as Paige's eyes swept over the rather dark pictures they had taken yesterday.

"Is this genuine?" Paige sudden voiced as she snapped her eyes towards the Northern American Pack who were crowded around the small computer screen.

"Is something the problem?" Antonio asked as he took in Paige's anxious expression. "Do you know what they are?"

"If this is authentic I can't believe you guys have found it." Paige exclaimed with an excited smile.

"Paige please stop us from guessing." Elena complained her eyes shining with trepidation as she fluttered her eyes towards her husband who was uncomfortably readjusting his seated position.

"You have found one of the most important magical sights concerning King Arthur Pendragon."

"Arthur Pendragon?" Antonio voiced with concern. "As in the Arthur Pendragon of Camelot?" The older werewolf stated again, trying to put emphasis on his words as he leant forwards to get a closer look towards Paige who was nodding exuberantly.

"That's right." Paige stated kindly with a smile. "It was the first written recordings that proved that magic was out there and people had the ability to use it." How could Paige be serious? Did she really expect the Pack to be so naïve that they would actually believe in the possibility of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table? Sure, growing up she had been fascinated about the legend and the stories of Arthur and Merlin; hell the BBC program had become an obsession but that was all it was, a story. So how did Jeremy and Nick and Elena expect her to react when they found out that this whole thing could be linked to Arthur Pendragon?

"So what has it got to do with us?" Clayton interrupted, "Last I looked we were Werewolves, not magicians."

"Let Paige explain Clay." Jeremy said before turning his attention back towards the computer screen.

"Do you guys know about Arthur's father Uther?" The young witch asked and nodded her head in relief when she saw the Pack stating that they had. "Well during his rule of Camelot Uther detested anything and everything that involved magic. He destroyed countless kingdoms and settlements that house druids, he murdered anyone suspected in practicing magic and he also murdered, imprisoned and destroyed countless creatures of magic like Dragons and Griffins."

"Isn't there a legend that states Arthur's manservant was a sorcerer?" Riley asked, basking in her ability to bestow a little of her Arthurian knowledge to her family in front of her.

"That's right and it was on Uther's death bed that Merlin came clean to Arthur and to prove to his old friend that he wasn't a danger to Camelot he helped ease Uther's passing into the shadow world."

"I take it that Arthur's rule of Camelot was anything but easy." Nick asked as he fluttered his eyes between Riley and Paige.

"In a matter of speaking, and many of the legends tell you many different tales and situations in which he may have been involved. I cannot be sure, but the story I was told when I was a little girl could be far from the truth and I may be leading you in the complete wrong direction as I try to help you solve the mystery of the murdered girls."

"Let us worry about that Paige." Jeremy smiled as Paige rambled to herself a little.

"Well Arthur and Merlin made a fantastic team and they managed to defend Camelot against many attacks, whether that was from neighboring kingdoms or from a magical attack."

"Didn't Arthur have a half-sister that had Magic?" Jeremy enquired.

"Morgana was indeed a witch and practiced in Black Magic, a type of magic that corrupted the hearts and minds of many strong men and she became a formidable foe to Arthur and his Knights. It was when his daughter Ayleth was born that the King seriously started to consider ridding Camelot of Morgana's magic."

"How did he do it?" Riley asked.

"He made a deal." Paige said to her sadly. "Arthur turned to King Ball of Merrywood a neighboring kingdom. Ball had just sired a son with his new wife and Arthur believed that the aligning of Camelot and Merrywood together would give him the strength to locate and eventually kill Morgana and her army."

"And did it?"

"When the two children were growing up the pair of them became incredibly close friends and the future joining of the two kingdoms seemed to be a strong reality but unfortunately as the pair of them grew things changed."

"Ayleth fell for another man?" Riley whispered quietly as she thought back to the memories of her dreams.

"In a manner of speaking, but there were other factors that need to be considered. Ayleth became her father's pupil and was trained in all manner of disciplines to wield a sword, a practice that made her neglect her other studies. Her mother wasn't best pleased when she would rather tussle with the knights than study drawing and knitting; she also didn't like math or science."

"Well what did she like?" Clayton complained.

"She was pretty adept in geography and politics, two traits that helped her during her term as Queen. Merlin, her father's advisor, seriously struggled to find her sometimes for her lessons on Magic. Normally she was found in the stables with her horse or messing around with her rabbit." 

"Did she posses magic?" Riley asked in concern, her confusion evident on her features as she asked a simple question; during her dreams Ayleth had never once shown the possibility of harnessing magic.

"No, but Merlin taught her how to detect and fight it."

"She sounds like the complete opposite to Faucon." Jeremy voiced.

"She was." Paige said with a smile. "Ayleth was never a scholar, instead she was a woman of action; very much like her father."

"And what did her mother think of this? I hardly doubt it was proper for a woman to be meandering around the castle in chainmail." Elena queried.

"Her mother was not best pleased, but she accepted Ayleth for who she was. Even though she didn't study she had the noblest of hearts that shamed many of Arthurs Knights. So much more than Faucon could ever deem to be."

"What was he like?" Nick asked.

"Faucon was drawn to the power of dark magic, he became manipulative and malicious and nursed an unhealthy obsession with Ayleth that became even more troubling when she started to spend a great deal of time with Sir Percival a Knight of the Round Table and Ayleth's future husband."

"So what happened?" Riley stated curiously.

"Arthur refused Faucon Ayleth's hand, severing all hopes of aligning the two kingdoms for he knew his daughter's heart belonged to someone else. Many people believe that his daughters and his wife's happiness was Arthur's weakness and I have to agree with them. However, in Faucon's fury he sort out Morgana and demanded she help him destroy Camelot and take what belonged to him."

"Ayleth." Elena uttered.

"Exactly. And he came pretty close on numerous occasions after several successful kidnapping attempts. But Ayleth was strong willed and minded and she never let herself be defeated. Arthur also refused to give up hope in finding her when she was missing. However, it was Faucon's hatred that led Merlin to protect Arthur and his family in a way no one ever considered. He created a spell to give Arthur and Ayleth and the rest of their family the strength to defeat Faucon and Morgana; Merlin gave them the gift of shifting in to a wolf at the same time as commanding other animals. Many witches and sorcerers believe that Arthur Pendragon and his family were the first line of werewolves to exist."

"You're serious?" Clay balked with a laugh as he focused on Paige's expression.

"As I said before this is all just hear say but many believe that Merlin's magic didn't just pass to Arthur and Ayleth but the rest of his family and descendants. Morgana herself created terrifying winged creatures in hopes of deterring Merlin's magic which was far greater than hers could ever have been."

"How was she defeated?" Clay asked again.

"No one knows but the pictures you sent me detail of a great battle that saw Ayleth wielding her father's sword, understanding and using the power of Merlin's stone at the same time as harnessing the love from her mothers pendant. To this day many magical scholars are looking into the possibility that the conflict was resolved but in their hearts they can't seem to accept that. Arthur, Morgana and Ayleth and Faucon were never defeated in battle and each of them just waited for an attack that never came. Ayleth married Sir Percival and together they had two sons that had the remarkable gift of shifting into a wolf just like their mother while Faucon sired a son."

"And this prophesy?" Riley voiced, "Sure as hell proves that this conflict hasn't been resolved."

"The prophecy was uttered with Arthur's dying breath so that any member of his family baring the mark of strength would hold the spirit of his daughter and have the knowledge and power to destroy Faucon once and for all. But for hundreds of years his family line has continued and never once has someone been identified."

"We may have just found her." Jeremy uttered as he looked towards Paige with nothing but seriousness in his expression. However, as Riley shifted her eyes towards Jeremy the lack of emotion and surprise that was registered on his features made the young Doctor a little uneasy concerning his loyalty. Had he known about the possibility of her birthright? Had he suspected that she could have been part of the original line of Werewolves considering Paige believed Merlin had 'cursed' Arthur and his future sons and grandsons. Was she part of this line and if so why was she a wolf considering she was female and was she the one charged with the daunting task of destroying King Faucon and the creatures he controlled? But Riley didn't know what to think. Instead she continued to listen to Paige, to try and understand the absurdity of the whole situation and try to shift the uncomfortable feeling of truth and familiarity.

"I don't understand and how were you able to translate the scripture in front of me, its in ancient Celtic."

"Because I was able to read it." Riley expressed in all seriousness before she looked towards Jeremy for his confirmation; when she got it she heaved herself to her feet and pulled at the collar of her shirt. "And I believe that this is the mark you're scholars have been waiting for." Riley finished as the colour within Paige's cheeks drained.

"Oh shit."


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

_The forests of Balor had not provided them with the information they had so desperately been searching for. Her father's closet confidant Merlin had detailed to them the location of an experienced druid that may or may not hold the answers in stopping the looming threat to Camelot. But as she cantered across the vacant plains of Camelon the underlying feeling of anxiety and dread were clouding her mind. The time was passing exceptionally slowly as she headed home and for once she wished she really could just admire the scenery. But these were the fields that neighbored her home. This was her world; this was the place where so many people fell and died in battle, knights distinguishing themselves with honorable acts of strength and kindness while others become figures of legend. _

_Nevertheless, her eyesight could see the steeping rocks of the Isgaard Mountains as she located the pathway that would see her safely through the foothills. Her senses were on alert as she searched for any abnormal activities, as she knew the perilous creatures that lived in the deserted Druid kingdom of Izlandura; creatures like Goblins and the terrifying Dragon were among the few beings to inhabit the mountain after its massacre undertaken by her Grandfather. _

_She could only encourage her horse Cadifor further, her body moving with his motions as they galloped towards the steep incline of the mountain range, allowing their figures to undertake the next leg of their journey. The large Essetir rabbit was sitting in front of her as he rested allowing her hands to grip onto her horse's reigns as her grey steed slipped and stumbled on the rubble pathway. _

"_Stay calm Cadifor, heed my words." Ayleth whispered, resting her hand on his neck as the horse physically relaxed, obeying his master's verbal commands as he pushed onwards, guiding the pair of them through the traitorous terrain of the mountain range. _

_As they continued through the rocky walls the young woman could see the sun moving across the sky, her body tiring as they continued her journey. However, as the setting sun overwhelmed her eyesight she heaved on her horse's reigns and felt Cadifor's hooves falling out from underneath him as he skidded on the asphalt of the alley. The young woman could see the sun peaking out from behind the large cliff faces that encased the chasm that led towards her home. _

_The three of them had emerged through the valley that was accessed by a steep, slippery zig zagged pathway. She could feel the air becoming warmer as she descended. The smell of pine tree's welcoming her home as the pine trees gave way to beech and oak. A smile engulfed her expression as they finally rounded the corner. There standing proudly in the distance was her home. Camelot was standing along the river Astolat, surrounded by plains and forests; the magnificent Cathedral of St. Stephen's was rising high into the air, standing proudly at the centre of her home considering many important events had been involved within the walls of the church. Ayleth had been told that her parents had married there at the same time as being the final resting places for past Kings and knights. In the distance she could see the meadow that held many jousting tournaments while smaller settlements and houses were compacted within the cities walls. _

_The large gate was open to her as she galloped through the final trees of the forests in front of her city. The clicking of her horse's hooves echoed as his long legs met the stone floor of the courtyard. Ayleth passed the houses of her people; shops and dwellings were located around her as the people of Camelot went about their daily duties and routines of selling food, blacksmiths creating horse shoes while young children played in the streams or collected water for their mothers. _

_The people of Camelot were staring at her curiously, unsure as to why one of their own, and their princess no less was in such a hurry. But, as she dashed through the street of Camelot she had to ignore the nagging feeling at the back of her mind, demanding she slow down and help the people scattered within the many alleys and narrow passageways of the marketplaces. She wanted to shop at the family run businesses and stores and admire the public living buildings such as the apartments or the rare full-fledged houses._

_However, she was pulled from her thoughts when she finally moved through the large stone archway that was flanked by the walls of her home. Her horses slowed hooves echoed around them as Camelot's impressive architecture was radiating around her as she finally moved into the large courtyard surrounded by the tall walls of the building. _

_The young woman leant down and patted her horse's muscled neck, whispering words of comfort as she removed her high rising boots from the stirrups careful to make sure none of the lacing on her calf was able to catch her horses equipment as she rounded her leg over hers steeds rump before letting her grey leather shoes connect with the floor. She could see and hear the conversation of the thousands of employee's that worked at the palace, many of them working hard in the stables or carrying certain household items as they completed their chores for the day. Ayleth just continued to place the large rabbit back to the ground, smiling as he curiously sniffed the air around him as the young princess smiled towards one of the young servant girls who were carrying a large bouquet of flowers. _

"_Your highness!" A voice sounded from behind her. Her heart was shuddering within her chest at the familiarity as she snapped her head in the direction of the tall lavish stone staircase that was dominated with circulating patterns. The young princess continued to removed her feathered silver side fringe from her face so she could get a better look at the Knight that had addressed her._

_He had changed a great deal in the last few weeks since she had been home; he now had short brown hair instead of the long locks he favored, his hair now moved into attractive sideburns that joined the stubble on his pronounced jaw, his eyes excitedly searching hers as he practically leapt down the steps. His deep navy tunic was clinging to his tall and slender body while his vambraces incased his wrists and the leather pull over that fell to his hips bellowed in the wind behind him. _

"_Sir Knight!" Ayleth replied with a large smile and a mock curtsey as she held out the lapels of her riding coat to her side and bowed. "Enough with the 'Your highness' or I may have to run you through." The young woman finished as she straightened up, her smile moving into an exuberant smile as she took in the Knights smile of his own. The knight opened his arms and wrapped them tightly around Ayleth who in return mirrored the young man's actions as she enveloped her arms around his neck, her chin resting to the back of his shoulder as she clung onto him. Ayleth could not stop the laugh from tumbling from her lips as the knight spun her around, the pair of them delighted to be reunited as they continued to cling to the other in a strong death grip. _

"_We are surprised to see you home so soon." The knight expressed. "Though I am sure some of us will welcome your company." _

"_Some more than others." Ayleth smiled as she patted Cadifor's neck and looked over her shoulder. "So tell me Sir Percival has the circumstances concerning King Faucon changed during my time away from Camelot?" _

"_Always to the point my dear Ayleth and here I stood thinking you had missed me." Percival said with a fond smile, a smile that was rewarded with the smile she seemed to save only for him. _

"_I had heard otherwise, for I was held to believe that you were to spend a great deal of time with the hunters in the north." Ayleth expressed, her other hand readjusting the positioning of her sword as they headed up the stairs that led towards the sometimes-open corridors of Camelot. It was in that moment that the Knight held out his arm for the young woman he was conversing with; it was also the time in which his heart rate began to quicken as his affections for the Pendragon Princess was once again rising to the surface. He nodded his head in thanks when she politely and rather fondly looped her arm with his. _

"_I have been here for a few weeks now." Percival voiced. "I was most disappointed when I was informed of your departure much to the pleasure of your father and the other Knights of the Round Table." _

"_An errand for my father, nothing more. It seems he is commissioning various individuals to aid in the protection of Camelot. Finally my father seems to be heeding my advice concerning the Druids and the power they may provide us."_

"_I did not doubt the importance of you're task." Percival spoke, "I had just hoped to have spent more time with you." _

"_I am sure Sir Gawain and Sir Lucan have been eager to listen to your stories of adventure." _

"_Had I the time I would have divulged that information to them, but I found myself in council with your father so I have had other things to distract me from my missing of you." Percival joked with a smile, a statement that received a laugh from Ayleth. Percival simply looked towards his boots, finally noticing the large rabbit hopping close to the Princesses heels. _

"_I'm sure the new recruits training, the upcoming tournament and the studying of the Holy Grail may have also distracted you." Ayleth beamed as the grip on Percival's arm tightened. _

"_Just like this little creature following at your heels." The Knight sighed with a frown, his eyes studying the large rabbits whose nose was twitching rapidly as if studying the man standing over him. "He is an Essetir rabbit?" _

"_That's right. I saved his life when Gregory Bostel's house collapsed."_

"_So the legend of an Essetir Rabbits ability to bond to a person is true? He will be a very trusting companion to you my Ayleth." Percival admired as he sat on his knees and held his hand out towards the animal in hopes of starting to build a relationship with a rabbit whom would never leave her side. _

"_That is what it seems. Though I will never want to send him away, he has already proven to be a formidable companion." Ayleth smiled. But, it was in that moment that they realised they had made their way to her chambers. She said her goodbye to her Knight, stating that she would like to see him after dinner before she prepared herself to go and see her father. _

_0-0-0_

_Ayleth was almost ready after her bath. Her hair had been dried, flicking in any direction as her silvery hair reflected the low sunlight that was streaming through her chambers. She could not help but smile as the familiarity of wearing a dress once again engulfed her heart as she placed her circlet onto her head, the jewelry embedded into her wild hair. _

_Her navy gown was covered with soft matt chiffon, which gathered up underneath the empire waist, finished with a crystal-beaded motif in the centre. She had allowed her handmaiden to aid her in tying the bodice portion of her dress that had been boned with a deep cut V neckline. Her fluted chiffon sleeves with a bias cut finished edge completed this simple dress that pooled around her feet. _

_The necklace, which she had been given when she was a baby, was around her neck. She was never allowed to remove it. When she was younger she was unsure as to why her parents were so strict about this simple rule. Even now she did not understand the importance of such an object. The necklace was crafted from pure silver falling into a kite like shape while the intricate feathering pattern encased a beautiful sapphire the shone with life. _

_Ayleth looked at her reflection in the mirror, understanding that she had not looked as well groomed in a very long time but she just smiled to herself before she felt the Essetir rabbit lifting one of his forepaws onto her skirts. She could only smile down at him before she knelt down in front of him with a cloth and went about cleaning his paws. _

"_You know I really do need to give you a name." Ayleth said to him gently as she felt the beautiful animal leaning on her heavily, allowing the young woman to rub her hands gently over his long warm ears as she went about bathing him. "I can't keep calling you rabbit." She smiled. She lifted him off her lap and had a proper look at him, studying his features as she tried to get a better look at him. "What about Beriothein that translates as William in the tongue of men meaning protector?" She asked, watching, as he seemed to look away from her a little before he looked back at her thumping his hock impatiently. "Okay, if you don't like Beriothein what do you think of Rainion, Curtis meaning courteous." The rabbit immediately shoved both of his hocks to the ground, shaking his head. Ayleth could do nothing but smile. "What was I thinking?" She joked before she lifted her hand to her chin, raking her mind for ideas before a thought came to her and she couldn't help but smile. "What about__Baramaethor, translating to Duncan meaning Brown Warrior__." She asked watching the animal thinking it over before he rubbed against her, agreeing with his new name. "I guess you like it. Now come on Baramaethor, its time to see my father." She expressed before heaving her figure upwards, getting to her feet, and going to the door with Baramaethor following closely behind her. _

_The young Princess placed her delicate feet to the cold marble floor, her dark dress trailing behind her as she walked through the familiar corridors of her home. Ayleth had to familiarize herself with the bowing of her people, servants moving to the side out of respect to their princess. She could only smile, bowing her own head as she continued through the open corridors of her home. _

_The setting sunlight was radiating orange through the sculptured archways of her home, the small breeze blowing the fallen leaves into the corridors from the various handsome gardens that littered the different sections of her home. Large elegant tapestries engulfed the walls, picture grams of past conflicts telling the untold stories. Statues and graceful ornaments housed on the elegant furniture that was crafted with spirals of circles overlapping each other, moving along and around each other in perfect decoration. _

_Ayleth could only allow the feeling of home envelope around her heart and her soul as the familiarity of her royal life of duties and her family relaxed her confused mind and the conflicting argument of the new devilry that had been produced by the darkness of Faucons domain. _

_The princess was so wrapped up in her thoughts she was unaware of how her body had moved up the stairs towards her Father's office door until she was standing in front of the large oak doors that lead to her Father's study. _

_She rested her palm on the cool wood, her eyes closing with familiarity as if the energy of the tree that the door had been crafted from was transferred to her. She opened her eyes when she felt one of Baramaethor's paws resting on the base of her leg. She just smiled down gently at him. She crouched and ran a hand between his ears out of comfort. _

"_Stay calm my friend. My father is not as frightening as people may believe." Ayleth smiled before she pulled herself to her full height and headed through the large doors. The woman squinted into the bright orange light that vibrated through the large room. Bookcases rose from the floor right up to the ceiling that rose two stories. Books of history, books of ancient languages long forgotten by most but still spoken by people like Ayleth's father. _

_She could hear her feet clicking against the floor and the thumping of her rabbit's feet against the floor as she searched the walls, taking in the decoration that radiated with her fathers personality. Old antique objects holding various different memories that spanned thousand of years of her homeland. _

_However, as she moved further into the room she could see a large oak desk positioned directly in the middle of the room. The open archways covered with netted curtains that bellowed in the small breeze from the surroundings of Camelot. The plants in the room enjoying the sudden sunlight that shone through the open archways. _

_As Ayleth came into the centre of the room she could see the figure of her father sitting at his desk, one of his eyebrows raised as if he had some troublesome information in front of him or one of the ancient texts were providing him with a great deal of problems. She just smiled at him before she walked into the middle of the room. _

"_My Lord Pendragon." Ayleth expressed as she curtseyed low to the ground out of respect to her father. Her rabbit scooted closer towards her out of nervousness as he watched the older gentlemen lifting his head, his eyebrow still raised as he looked at his Daughter. _

"_Ayleth. My child." The king smiled as he heaved his figure from behind his desk. Ayleth rose from her bow, taking in the short blonde locks that hung over her father's eyes; she had no doubt that her mother was demanding he cut his hair. His grey robe was clasped over his shoulders hiding the silver tunic that encased his body. Ayleth could only smile at him as her father in turn smiled and held out his arms to embrace his daughter. _

"_Father." Ayleth breathed as she wrapped her arms around her father, her heart finally feeling like she had returned home after being away for so long. _

"_You're home." He smiled as he pulled away, lifting his hand to her smooth cheeks, gently moving her blonde side fringe from her forehead, careful not to disturb the silver circlet that was resting amongst her hair. _

"_I apologize for arriving home so soon."_

"_You have nothing to forgive. It seems the world always has something that disturbs the peace." Arthur explained, taking hold of his daughter's hand as the pair of them moved towards the large lounger that was positioned by one of the archways. Ayleth angled her body so she was facing her fathers, rejoicing in his attention as she sat in front of her, his hands still wrapped around hers. _

"_Did you find anything of interest in the forests of Essetir?"_

"_I was unable to find Bostel to ask for his help in the fight against Faucon and his winged creatures. I was also unable to gain any information regarding the lightning flash that appeared for the Isles of the Blessed. I fear something may have happened to alter the odds against us." _

"_I have received various messages from allied kingdoms and each of them have explained a dark force rising in the east, something that could lead to Camelot's destruction." Arthur stated, his voice trembling with emotion as he looked towards his daughter who could only look up at him, comfort shining in her eyes. "I will need you in the coming days my dear and I fear that you may never have the joys of continuing the Pendragon line." _

"_We always knew a war could threaten Camelot and it is a great honor to fight at your side. Besides we cannot tell the future and a very worthy knight might just prove to you his affections or I may seek your council concerning a suitor." _

"_Is this a subtle way of telling me that you have fallen in love my child?" Arthur asked gently with a smile, a smile that was graciously returned by the Princess. _

"_I cannot tell you just yet Father, for I am unsure as to what I feel." Ayleth explained as her mind automatically fell back to the Knight she was to meet in a few hours time. _


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Together Woman of the Otherworld Fanfiction Hannah Suttling

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

To say Riley was growing increasingly impatient was an understatement. Nick had received a rushed text message from Clayton about forty-minutes ago stating that he was running a little late from there allocated rendezvous and said he would be no more than ten minutes; in Riley's mind he was now really starting to take the piss considering they had been waiting for him for half an hour. However, as the young Doctor quickly glanced up towards Nick it seemed Clayton's lack of time keeping was started to aggravate the Pack's most unperturbed wolf as his jaw was set into a hard line and Nick was petulantly gazing towards his watch. Had Clay been with his wife, Riley was sure he would never have kept them waiting.

But, as the pair of them stood on the side of Main Street, each of them were uncomfortably waiting; the article that Jeremy had shown the three of them before they left Stonehaven had detailed several disconcerting accusations about the inhabitants of Stonehaven and unfortunately for them the Bear Valley public suspected them or believed what the Journalist had written; maybe that was the reason why Jeremy was so reluctant in allowing them to spend some time within the small town eavesdropping. Nevertheless, Riley just shoved her hands into her coat pocket, hiding the bottom of her face into the depths of her coat collar to try and protect her from the freezing temperature and the heavy snow falling and gracefully settling onto the floor of the town. She anxiously gazed towards two elderly ladies who were slowly stumbling down the icy pathways, their Trolley Dolly holding their shopping and helping them walk; but what made her uncomfortable was the dark glares they pointed in her direction as they continued their hushed conversation, obviously talking about Riley and Nick as they passed. Riley wasn't surprised by their attitude for the whole of the town had been whispering about them or avoided them all together.

It seemed that Nick had been completely oblivious to the malicious old ladies that had walked passed as his attention had been solely focused to his expensive mobile phone as if expecting it to ring. When it didn't he just dropped it into his oversized pocket and turned to look towards Riley who was shivering within her coat and scarf.

"Looks like we're on our own." Nick stated as he lifted his arm and started heading in the direction behind Riley, his hand pressed to the bottom of her back as he guided her forward, finally recognizing the uneasy looks pointed in their direction. "I have no idea where Clay may be and how long whatever he is doing is going to take." Nick finished as he too placed his hands to his pocket. Obviously standing out in the cold for over forty minutes would make anyone cold, even a werewolf.

"So what do you suggest?" Riley questioned, her voice a little mumbled due to her scarf obstructing her lips and voice.

"I spoke with my father, he thought it best we just continue to search for any notifiable evidence that may help Jeremy understand the information Paige gave us or to uncover any potential threats or attacks given to us by the villagers."

"Yes, because so many of the Bear Valley inhabitants will know about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table." Riley uttered sarcastically, a smile gracing her lips, as she understood Nick's incredulous expression.

"Are all of you English people sarcastic?"

"Yes." Riley expressed with the same tone as her last statement, her head nodding while a smirk was exuberantly shining on her features. "Yes we are." Riley finished and welcomed the small chuckle that Nick gave her.

Yet, Riley must have been walking at Nick's side for a couple more minutes before something hit her. A scent that hit her so hard she stopped walking all together. It was no stronger than Clay's but it was like cold fingers reaching deep into her brain to pluck out a memory long buried; but somehow, she still doubted herself.

Nick only walked a few more steps until he realized Riley was no longer at his side. With a frown on his expression he turned around to see Riley confidently, but subtly tasting and smelling the air around her, a deep frown of concentration evident on her expression.

"Riley?" Nick asked as he headed back to her side, not surprised when she didn't turn to face him. "What is it?"

"Can you smell that?" She voiced, finally managing to flutter her eyes to her friend, the pair of them knowing that her sense of smell was possibly the worst of her senses considering she spent most of her adult life working within the walls of a sterile hospital. Had she been listening for something she would have pinpointed the noise from 3 miles away; just goes to show just how individual werewolf abilities truly were. But, he too was picking up something, a scent that was causing a nagging feeling of familiarity to overwhelm him.

"Coming to think of it, yes." Nick replied before he curled his fingers around Riley's hand and the pair of them quickly powerwalked down the street, effectively following the trail at the same time as avoiding the suspicious public. Nevertheless, the scent seemed to be too good to be true and as they rounded a corner they came to an abrupt halt. The alley was a dead end.

She simply stood there, listening to the silence of the alleyway that was littered with ancient cardboard boxes and old newspapers that had been caught in the icy wind. She never doubted for a second that Nick wouldn't give up on the one lead they had uncovered in the last few days. His eyes were constantly searching their surroundings, his nostrils flaring as he continued to test the air; each of them nervously contemplating what may conspire if they were to jump over the large brick wall that was hindering their pursuit, each of them uncertain whether to continue. Deep down Riley knew this was her chance to prove her worth, to show to her ambiguous pack mates that she knew how to handle herself that she could come through with results under advantageous and potentially dangerous situations. Maybe this was the chance that would make or break her decision into whether she should remain aligned with the Northern American Pack.

Riley had made her decision. Without another moment's notice, and before Nick could argue Riley bolted. She charged towards the brick wall, her small petite frame being flung at such a speed that when she reached the bottom she called upon the strength within her small muscles and hurled herself at the wall. She felt her hands contacting the slab of material just as her feet clambered for a footing. Within seconds she had managed to scale the wall with little to no effort; she always took advantage of her small frame. Riley made certain that the way was clear, the alleyway mirroring the one that Nick was residing in and as she continued to search the passage the overwhelming aroma of the creature they were tracking almost had her falling from her high perch. After a few seconds of recon, she turned her attention back towards Nick who was balking up towards her, unsure as to how she had managed to climb the wall with such ease.

"Come on," Riley started with a smile as she cocked her head to the alleyway behind her. "The trail leads this way." She finished before leaping like a frog over the wall and into the alley below her. Within seconds Nick was jumping from the floor, to the ledge of the wall and then to the floor beside his companion.

"Every day you surprise me." Nick countered as he pulled down the lapels of his coat that had slowly risen; a smile was on his lips as he looked down to the form of Riley that only reached the bottoms of his shoulders. Riley simply smiled before the young woman turned her attention towards the mouth of the alley, noticing a tarmacked road that seemed to be voided of all and any traffic. Again, Riley felt Nick's fingers curling around her small hand before the pair of them headed from the alley and onto another street trailing after the scent on the air. Riley felt like she was walking into the scene of 'Man of Steel' when Superman was fighting with Faora-UI for the street was almost identical.

She couldn't help the unease that was spiraling through her stomach; her eyes were frantically searching and the grip she had on Nick's hand only intensified; why couldn't she shake the feeling that they were walking into a trap? Had they been tracking a mutt they would have expected a trail that weaved and interlaced through various different alleyways and streets. If they had any common sense they would have found shelter and asylum on a busy street, but with mutts most of the time they were predating humans. Instead of a nice quick clean kill they couldn't resist the urge to let their prey go and then hunt them through the unfamiliar streets of a neighborhood they may have only just arrived in. It was a werewolf's driven instinct to chase their prey and unfortunately humans provided the most fun and exhilaration.

But, as the pair of them continued to follow the scent trail, the nerves within Riley's stomach slowly intensified and turned to ice. Lying on the pavement was a continuous supply of splattered blood pools, which was causing Riley to remember back to the difficult circumstances of the motel and uncomfortable images of her dreams, came to the front of her memory. The Doctor knew she needed to keep her cool, but as the troubling images of her nightmares drifted to her thoughts she couldn't help but feel a serene sense of de-jar-vu; this whole tracking malarkey was feeling far too familiar to a hunt completed by the persons of her dream.

Nick and Riley stalked forward along the wall that led to the base of the alleyway. However, Riley's nervousness didn't go unnoticed and Nick tried to think of something reassuring to say to the young Doctor but his mind drew a blank. The last thing he wanted to do was make matters worse considering Riley was the leading expert in tracking this thing. Riley just felt very uneasy and had a feeling that at any moment something bad was about to happen; however she followed Nick in single file as they crept ever closer to the alley in question.

But, as Riley's stomach knotted with nervousness, she could feel Nick's hand becoming clammy; it seemed that he was unable to keep himself calm considering the horror stories he had heard about this thing. His heart was palpitating within his chest so badly that it was starting to cause him a great discomfort. His breath had quickened as the adrenaline coursed through his body and as he looked down towards Riley she was chewing the inside of her lips to keep her emotions in check.

They finally reached the mouth of the alleyway and as Nick took a cautious look around the corner he withdrew almost immediately, the air whooshing from his lungs as he pushed his body back to the side of the wall. He looked down towards Riley nodded his head before allowing her to sneak a peek. As if like magic, at the end of the alleyway was the creature, its wings absentmindedly moving in the wintery wind, a large matted and snarled scar travelled from the large wing bone right through the thin skin of its wing. But, what had her stomach churning was the blood that was spewing from its mouth as it crunched through bones and dinned on a helpless homeless person that seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Riley pulled back, her eyes heavy with emotion as she came to stand next to Nick, her eyes fluttering up towards him as she nodded her head in acceptance.

"That's the one I've been tracking in England." Riley whispered "Right down to the scar on its wing." She finished, her back pressed as tightly to the brick wall as Nick's.

"Any ideas in stopping it?" Nick asked quietly, his eyes staring directly down to Riley as she craned her neck up towards him.

"Not without the rest of the pack." Riley supposed with a shrug of her shoulders. "I've also never seen one during the day. My hunts and spottings have always been at night." A growl quickly cut Riley off and she shrieked back towards the wall. But, the damage was done and before either of them could even contemplate running the creature flew out of the alley at such a speed the turbulent airflow that followed had the pair of them flung from their feet as it propelled itself into the air. Newspapers and day old rubbish was catapulted into the air as it got caught up within the torrent of air.

Had no one known what they were up against the black dot would seem like a harmless bird circling the air, but to Riley and Nick it was a cause for some alarm as the dot quickly became bigger and bigger as it gained speed at an alarming rate? Had the pair of them thought it was just a bird Nick's clawing at Riley's limbs and coat would have been an overreaction but as soon as Riley was roughly pulled to her feet she scrambled to get away. Within seconds they heard the high-pitched screech of the creature. Being agile and fit meant that the pair of them was able to quickly dodge out of the way as the creature lunged for them before barreling into a nearby wall. It seemed the speed it had gained during its diving had been so intense it was unable to pull up in time. Riley just smiled to herself as she felt Nick dragging her out of their alleyway again unknowing that the creature was coming at them with its talons advancing and just as it was about to sink its sharp claws into the young Doctor's flesh Riley dived both away from Nick and the creature causing the scratching of talons on pavement to resound around them as the winged-creature tried to get back into the air, and like earlier hit the side of a building and causing a load of dust to sprinkle over the couple.

It was in that moment that Riley was able to get a better look at the creature as it hovered in the air. There was no doubting that this creature was the one she tracked back home. The scar on its wing and over its eye confirmed that; normally she would be prepared to face it, to hunt it and potentially kill it, but Bear Valley town Centre was not the place to be seen conducting scrupulous activities considering the town already suspected them. She also realized that she and Nick were mercilessly outnumbered.

But, before either of them could even comprehend the actions of the creature they saw the slightest of movement to their right and to their surprise Clayton was trying to sneak towards them. However, it wasn't just Riley and Nick who noticed the movement because with a horrific, ear splitting shriek the creature squawked at this new devilry. The black, lifeless and vacant eyes started intently at its prey and Riley could hear the sickening cracking of talons clicking into place as its razor sharp claws scratched against each other as it dived for Clayton.

Riley screamed for Clayton, warning her Pack mate of his impending situation and as Clayton spun to see her and then to the diving creature he swore under his breath before bolting into the darkness of the alleyway that led towards the main street of Bear Valley. The young Doctor just clamored to her feet, ducking the creature's attack and running for Clay; it seemed she was so wrapped up in reaching her companion that she failed to hear Nick's screaming as she ran from one side of the street and directly to the other.

She shoved her small body back to the wall when she reached the alleyway. She continued to look around the passage as she heaved her long copper hair from her face and peered into the corridor and her stomach filled with dread. Clayton was under the large creature, its deformed head focused purely to the werewolf underneath him as he lashed his dragon horns towards Clayton. Riley was frantically searching for an idea in how to defend her companion but as the creature once again let out an inhuman screech Riley knew she was out of time. Clay had his hands curled around the things horns, struggling with the creature's strength as he tried to protect himself while Riley recognized the object she was looking for. Lying on the ground, propped up against one of the alleyway walls was a thick piece of wood that may have come from a chest of draws or a desk. She scrambled to cling onto the wood and adjusted her hold before she ran towards the creature, lifted her weapon above her head and shoved the object across the creatures back. She shrieked away from her attack as the wood snapped clean in two.

However, she hadn't thought things through well enough for the creature's attention was no longer on Clayton but instead it turned to face her. Before another moment passed Riley swore under her breath and bolted towards the exit that led towards the busy Bear Valley town center.

She raced for the busy street, eschewing the network of dustbins and large cardboard boxes as she tried to reach the safety of the human public. The creature was still following her, and it would until she was dead or captured. The question that kept spiraling through her mind was how long would it be till she finally gave in and allowed the creature to get to her? Or get overwhelmed by the feelings of guilt and foolishness that was spiraling throughout her body considering she was the reason Clayton was suffering with a grotesque scratches and she was now running for her life. She pushed back the first signs of panic; after all she was slap bag in the middle of civilization. However, that didn't stop her heart from trembling within her chest; the creature was screaming and the ear splitting roars overwhelmed her figure as she bolted through the crowded alleyway.

When Riley had finally made her way through the alleyway she came to realize her mistake of running onto the high street. The people of Bear Valley were continuously getting in her way; whether that was because she was trying to run down the busy street or because their attitude towards an inhabitant of Stonehaven was anything but dismal. Nevertheless Riley kept weaving between the continuous streams of humans, propelling her body in different directions as she struggle to avoid bumping into or completely knocking certain individuals over. But, as she ran further and further away from the alleyway she couldn't stop herself from taking a cautious look over her shoulder and what she saw only made her confusion grow.

The creature must have had no more than one hundred meters behind her, its large wings thrusting its muscular body towards its prey, its disjointed talons scrapping against the pavements as its deformed features snarled and dribbled as it pursued her. But what had her confused was the behavior of the people surrounding the beast. This thing was a hideous and rather terrifying creature making its first appearance within Bear Valley and instead of the expected hysteria, screaming and mass panic the only reaction she was getting from the humans were glares and unfavorable whispers concerning her lack of propriety.

Nonetheless the young Doctor made a mistake. She had been looking behind her for too long, ignoring the cries of humans struggling to get out of her way or the fact that she was slowly running out of pathway; her boots came into contact with a sheet of black ice, the tread of her shoes unable to get an adequate grip that sent the young werewolf slipping and sliding. Riley wobbled on her feet as she tried to slow her decent, to keep her balance so she wouldn't make a fool of herself at the same time in preventing any loss of speed during this crucial stage of her running. To her dismay as she turned he creature had recovered the ground between the pair of them.

Riley veered to the left, forcing herself into another alleyway in hopes of shaking her tracker and as she heard he answering shrieking of frustration she couldn't stop the smirk forming on her lips as she finally managed to momentarily get away. It seemed her luck was short lived. She had come to a dead end. The young Doctor slipped and skidded to a stop as she tried to think of any ways in getting either over the wall of the alleyway or to somehow try and get as much distance away from the thing chasing her.

The werewolf looked towards the bleak sky, the sunlight struggling to shine through the clouds as she noticed the flat roofs of the building. It was then an idea came to her and she could barely believe her luck when her body complied with its commands and easily hauled itself onto the top of the brick wall and then onto the roof of the ancient buildings. But, within a few moments she could hear the sound of wind travelling under large thick wings, and without turning she knew she was being chased once again. Riley could feel the animal stirring within her, growling and struggling to keep her composure as she spurred Riley onwards, encouraging her human counterpart by providing her legs and her arms with the strength that allowed her to run far faster than the average human and to jump nearly twice the distance.

If she ran fast enough, jumped high enough, it would not get her. It might have thought it knew all of her tricks, but he had never pursued her across the roofs of buildings and the creature seemed just as lost and disorientated with the streets and forests of Bear Valley as she was. For years she had walked the Main Streets of Bear Valley and making sure she knew the forests that were Stonehaven property; but as she tried to maneuver herself through the small alleyways, over the tall buildings that constructed the high street and trying to avoid capture of a rampant bat like creature Riley really wished she had paid more attention to Clayton's constant whining concerning her inability to navigate herself around Bear Valley.

But now, as a young woman running for her life, jumping over alleyways that were about 3 meters wide so she could land on the roof of another run down building she was beginning to feel the anxiety and frustration coiling within her body as she tried to find a way to escape. However, sometimes circumstances like this would go on so long that her body would be exhausted, now it seemed she didn't have the luxury of being well rested considering her sleeping pattern and she sure as hell couldn't make a mistake because that mistake could cost her her life.

6


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Together Woman of the Otherworld Fanfiction Hannah Suttling

**Together**

_Women of the Otherworld Fanfiction_

Singingfrogs

No copyright infringement intended

How had her life changed so much in the last few years that she had to constantly stare over her shoulder in hopes of not being tracked by this thing? She was thirty-four and barely able to keep herself safe in her on territory over in London and she was starting to get sick of it.

She could hear the creature behind her, growling and screeching as it ground its teeth together or rubbed its wings against the bricks of the aging buildings. She just hoped that Nick was able to get to Clayton in time and with her trying to get the creature as far away from the pair of them she just prayed to god that they could come up with a better plan in stopping this thing.

Riley called upon her strength once again as she flew across the cavern so she could land on the other building, the creature roaring with anguish as his wings caused the air around her to knock her off balance; she was just lucky that she was able to hold out her arm to catch her but never once stopping her running. However, as her sensitive eyes took in the path in front of her she could see that she was quickly running out of buildings, her hands balled into tight fists and her heart was a banging drum. What the hell would she do when she got there? She could jump and try to land properly on the floor, jumping out of a two maybe even a three-storied building window provided very little problems for a werewolf, but she was running at full pelt with glacial temperatures and icy pathways below her. These were all the difficulties that could hinder her get away.

The Doctor looked over her shoulder, slamming into the wall in the process. Golden light shone down, framing the creature from their vantage point. It reached out as if to grab her, its large wings propelling it forwards as the sunlight shimmered from between the low grey clouds, each flap sending a jolt of turbulent air towards her. Riley pressed onwards, calling upon her ailing strength as she forced herself to run quicker; her lungs were burning as the freezing air was pulled into her chest; her feet were aching while she paled with exhaustion. She was losing this race. Through the slamming of her own heartbeat she managed to hear it bellow out in anguish as Riley jumped over the last remaining building that was under her feet.

Her footsteps echoed around the enclosed space of the final building as she moved right past the smoking chimneys and headed towards the far end of the shop. She heard the creature flapping its wings over the bricks, the ancient pillar collapsing under it intense strength, the concrete bricks shattering to the stone floor. But Riley needed to come up with a new plan. She had run out of time and buildings and now she had to either prepare herself for a jump that could see her breaking her legs or to somehow circle back the way she came. She could hear it harsh breathing, punctuated by animal grunts. Her own breaths were coming short and fast, her hands clenched so tightly she thought her bones would shatter.

With an exasperated sigh she darted for the edge, almost slipping on the invisible ice as she heard the creature pounding after her. Riley just flung herself from the building, mentally and physically preparing herself to land, if a little awkwardly to the snowy ground, but she grimaced when she heard the inhuman screech bellowing behind her and before she could even comprehend what was going on a sudden jolt of her arm had her snapping her head towards the sky. A yelp of surprise erupted from her lips as she felt her small frame moving further and further away from the ground. Her heart continued to palpitate within her chest as her fear of flying combined with the increasing distance between her and the ground was starting to unsettle her stomach.

Nevertheless, Riley couldn't stop the gasp of pain exploding from her lips as the creature's grip on her wrist tightened to an almost breathtakingly excruciating grip. She could feel the skin of her wrist screaming out in anguish as her writhing caused the skin of her wrist to bruise. The creature took a sudden left turn and jolted Riley's wrist. White-hot agony speared up her arm, her eyes swimming with torture as hot blood suddenly streamed. She was scarcely able to keep her mind calm as she struggled to think of a plan and her rising panic didn't help as Bear Valley swiftly travelled out of sights and was replaced with a vast unknown forest.

The Doctor frantically searched for an idea, for any plan that could potentially lead to her escape. But as she tried to ignore the throbbing of her wrist she tried to push passed her distress as the creature's movements jolted her body and come up with some sort of escape plan. Pain was blinding her. The tormenting suffering of her wrist was distracting her as her body retaliated against her mind. Her eyes were stinging with water as she somehow tried to squirm out of the creatures grip. But as another wave of agony shot up her arm she knew she needed to come up with a new plan.

As she swallowed her nausea to look down at the forest below her it was then that an idea came to her. For the last few years Jeremy had been training her in partly shifting; whether that was an appendage or the whole of her bottom half. However, right now her training was only in the theoretical stage and she had never done it under difficult and rather stressful circumstances before.

Riley struggled to shift her body weight as she trained her attention to her hand. She felt the skin prickling and she felt her fingers shorten and before she could rethink her actions Riley flung her arm towards the creature in hopes of catching it off guard. In a second it regained its lost altitude and lifted its arm as if to shake Riley for her bad behavior. Riley grimaced for only a moment before she snugged her left arm and swiped the creature across its chest. Her nails tore through the muscular flesh of the creature's torso so when she realized she had a good enough grip she yank and ripped its chest open.

At the time it was a good idea and at least she had managed to get away from the creature; but as she fell towards the forest she knew she needed to twist her position so she could land without harming herself. So, as she distorted her body and as the tips of the trees grew ever closer Riley prepared herself for grabbing a few of the tree branches.

It was her feet that contacted with leaves first. But she was falling to fast and she frantically clawed at the tree, the young werewolf barely able to gain a firm hold on the rough wood as her body continued to tumble between the branches of the tree. White-hot agony speared though her stomach as her body draped itself over one of the tree branches and she struggled to regain the air that whooshed from her lungs, gravity pulled on her legs as she felt herself falling again, her hands slapping on another tree branch before she well and truly landed on the wooded floor.

Her eyes were firmly closed as she tried to recover from her fall; her back aching with tormenting distress as her body quivered and ached. She could hear the creature screeching at her impudence due to his newly acquired wound and the fact that she had gotten away from him. But, as the young werewolf slowly heaved herself onto her side she clutched at her torso to try and get her lungs working again. The young werewolf glanced down to her hand, thankful that it was a hand considering she had managed to partly shift and turned her human hand into a wolf one. She wouldn't have gotten away otherwise. Nevertheless, Riley observed the creature diving for the forest and before she could fully recover she knew she needed to move and find an ideal hiding spot.

0-0-0

She knew it was coming for her. She could feel it deep within her bones. She could sniff it in the air, as recognizable as the scent that had plagued her dreams for so many years. It was the smell of death itself and it was still so vivid to her, even though the creature was hopefully miles away from her now. It seemed the creature had a remarkable ability in tracking her; whether that was across the Atlantic or it uncanny ability in following her tracks within the snowy undergrowth of the forest in which she had fallen, but as she tried to avoid the creature she couldn't stop the decaying odor from overwhelming her. Riley had no idea whether she was just a little more sensitive to the decomposing stench considering she had dealt with numerous patients in which they had arrested and been unable to be brought back. It was when they were noted for recess and she had the un-dignifying task of CPR that she really noticed it. The smell usually hit her like a ton of bricks as she compressed on the patient's chest or used the defibrillator and was almost instantaneous to the heart and lungs stopping; after all with no oxygen in the blood tissues started to die.

But she had been in that profession for nearly ten years and never once did she let it bother her, so she was trying her damned hardest to get over the stench produced by the creature and somehow get back to her pack mates. The wind moaned like a woman when it swept through the oak, pine and hickory trees; her eyesight momentarily blinded as chips of sunlight filtered through the canopy, dappling the undergrowth but still struggling to shed some light into the forest. For the time of day, and due to her location deep within the trees, little light shone through, and in the green shadows, thick with underbrush saplings were struggling to protrude from the deep layer of freshly fallen snow.

She could still hear the crunching of inhuman feet within the snow and the scratching of tree trunks, can picture its bat like wings leaving a trail within the snow due to their size while saliva, blood and flesh would drop from its mouth as it continued its extensive search for its prey; the creature relying completely on its smell and hearing as in all the years of Rileys tracking she had never identified its eyes. Instead its face was contorted into grotesque protuberances as its thick skin melded to its horns that were imbedded into its skull while his ears were pointed and horrifyingly large; an adaption that she knew had occurred due to its lack of eyesight. But, never before had she been so alone when facing this thing; back in England she had James and Alastair, the pair of them never refusing to aid in her searching, but tracking and hiding in a forest she could barely navigate was causing her anxiety levels rise as she tried to find an exit at the same time as remaining hidden.

The sudden snapping of a twig echoed around her and she momentarily held her breath as she frantically tried to strain her hearing for any signs of attack. She just crouch there, the large bushy shrubs concealing her from view as her senses went into overdrive, her brain struggling to understand all the information given to her as she frantically searched for the creature. What she sees makes her heart shudder within her chest.

The creature was standing about two-hundred meters away, it's large bat like wings were the only thing she could see considering it had it's back to her and all it was doing was standing there. She just watched while it just waited the pair of them anticipating the other to make the first move but neither of them made that mistake. For a long time the pair of them remained as still as they could, the creatures only movement was in its wings and the occasional snapping of his head as if looking at a sudden intrusion that was all imagined within its head. Riley could formulate so many reasons for the creature's behavior and future attacks, each of them becoming more and more dangerous causing her skin to prickle with hot dread. Riley told herself to calm down because now was not the time to accidently trigger a shift and she knew she would be caught and killed mid-way through her change.

Nevertheless, something washed over her body, screaming at her that something wasn't right. Within the undergrowth her eyes once again desperately searched the forest. Was that a footfall? The snapping of a stick? She could feel her palms beginning to sweat as her heart battered against her chest, the young Doctor afraid to move in case she alerted the creature or the sudden intruder that was invading her hiding spot. After years of allowing her instincts to take over, those urgent twinges that were provided by her animal counterpart were the only reason she was still alive. Riley had learnt to pay heed to every anomaly, every tremor of disquiet and notice even the smallest thing out of place. She would snap to attention every time a co-worker asked for her or coming up with elaborate escape and attack plans to either hunt this creature or put down an intruding Mutt within her territory. That was a high point with being aligned with a Pack; she had the ability to settle down and create a life for her, and in ways much like a wolf she would do anything to protect her home and her family.

She should have left by now; she should not have waited this long and made to move away from this creature. That was what her mind was telling her but the wolf within her was telling her to wait, and that's what she did. But the crunching of snow grew ever louder and as Riley continued to search the forest in front of her she was acutely aware of the flicking of the creatures ear. It too had sensed this new presence. Riley continued to linger, her mind frantically trying to come up with any ways of getting out of this forest, but with the creature so close and another unidentified figure heading towards them Riley had no idea which way she could go and remain hidden.

However her time had run out. She felt a warm hand curling around her upper arm and without even a thought she frantically clawed at her intruder. She swung her arm at her attacker and inwardly she leapt with joy when she felt the back of her hand contacting with her offenders cheek. But, as her aggressive clouded mind slowly calmed when her grey eyes recognized her 'attacker'. Nicky was sitting on his knees, a confused but rather affronted expression on his features as he gently rubbed at his slapped cheek. Riley just frowned at Nick, mouthing his name as the pair of them looked to the other before each of them was pulled from their thoughts. Nick placed one of his fingers over his lips before each of them crept closer to the bushes, each of them taking in the frustration evident on the creatures features before he stretched out his wings and within seconds was flinging himself into the air and way from the pair of them.

Riley just let out the air she had been unconsciously holding before she rested her forehead to Nick's shoulder; her heart was slowly returning to its normal pace when she felt Nick's warm palm resting to her forearm as he studied her relieved expression.

"Found you." Nick voiced happily, one of his hands protectively placed to the bottom of her back as Riley looked towards him with an incredulous look on her face.

"Found me?" Riley whispered, half snapping and half miss believing as she balled her fists and pommelled Nick's forearm.

"What, I was helping!" Nick replied with a laugh, trying and failing to move out the way of Riley's punches.

"Helping my butt! Don't do that! You scared me half to death!" Riley bellowed, her irritation at Nick's smile only growing until she stopped hitting him and gave him a proper look. Deep purples were shining under his eyes, his coat ripped at the sleeves while several large bramble thorns had imbedding into his expensive coat. But, Riley couldn't stop herself from lifting her hand to his cheek, feeling the handsome stubble under her fingertips as she gently pressed the large black bruise that had formed on his jaw from a blow he must have received from the creature while she was running to Clayton.

Nick's eyes simply searched hers as Riley was unknowingly wrapped in her studying of Nick's ailments. Out of the three of them he was probably the one who had come out of this situation pretty much unscathed while Riley's skin was littered with small cuts given to her by the undergrowth and Clay was suffering with two horrendous cuts to his shoulder; cuts that he had no doubt needed Riley's attention. However, Riley's eyes were swimming with such trepidation Nick simply gave her a very weak comforting smile. Riley just intertwined her arms with his as she lifted and rested her chin to the back of his shoulder, her soft hands feeling the tension of his shoulders as she tightly embraced him. Her heart swelled when she felt Nick clinging onto the back of her neck with one of his large warm hands the other pressing to the middle of her back as he too tucked his chin to the back of her shoulder, inhaling her scent as the older werewolf clung onto her as if his world had finally been given back to him.

When she pulled away, her eyes found his and she gave him the smile she saved only for him. She felt him move his hand to her cheek, his thumb lightly trailing the small cut that had been placed to her cheekbone, feeling the rough contours of the skin as he relished in the feel of her and the comfort she provided, nothing how he held her undivided attention as she tried to aid in the organization of his thoughts and emotions; the same way in which he was helping her.

"Two hours we've been looking for you." Nick stated as he heaved his heavy figure to its feet. "Jeremy was getting worried." He finished as he held out his hand for Riley who graciously took it and slowly moved onto her feet.

"I couldn't help it." She started as she gently tugged a few of the bramble thorns from Nick's expensive, but now ruined coat. "That thing was tracking me for the entire time, I couldn't escape it."

"Good thing I found you when I did." Nick exhumed with a smile, a smile that was returned by one of Riley's. "Clay also requires you're attention as he got quite a beating when face this thing."

"I'm not surprised." Riley said sadly. "Take me home and I'll see what I can do."

5


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Typical. You fight through hell, hacking through legions of beasts, rabid mutts, zombies and demon-spawn; to then fear the blizzard of a snowstorm after squaring off death once again. Riley just moved her eyes so she was gazing towards Stonehaven that was overwhelmed by the large snowflakes that seemed to force their way into the vehicle. The Mercedes was being battered by the howling ice-cold wind. A frown engulfed her features as she took in the intensity of the weather and the intermittent gusts of wind that deterred her usual 'get up and go' approach. The young Doctor turned to face her companion who had rotated the keys within the ignition and removed his feet from the pedals, his eyes dull with exasperation as he prepared himself to face the snow. Riley adjusted the collar of her coat at the same time as Nicky pushed open his door and moved into the blizzard.

The young Doctor gave a cautious look towards the lofty werewolf who was standing on the other side of the car, a look of disdain falling onto his features as he wrestled with the wind to try and get the Mercedes door closed; it seemed that the look he gave her only made her more uneasy as she attempted to make her way through the snow storm, clinging onto the lapels of her coat as she went. It seemed this dangerous weather had literally come out of nowhere considering the pair of them had spent the majority of the day in town and she couldn't help feeling like a Sasquatch struggling to walk through the snow to catch a meal. But Stonehaven was in front of her, partly hidden by snow, but Riley could just about make out the building standing proudly as the snow spiralled and whirled in any and every direction.

Nick was stepping in behind her within seconds of getting the door closed, his features scrunched up into a grimace as the snow stung the skin of his cheeks. Riley just huddled closer within herself as she unobservantly watched Nicky stumbling through the snow and towards the door. She wasn't surprised that Antonio had engraved into his son the proper etiquette in regards to treating a lady right considering the pair of them were very important within the business industry. But, as Nick directed his sophisticated and old worldly attitudes towards her, the fluttering of her heart only grew more unbearable. Was this the way all of the other woman lucky enough to fall onto Nick's radar felt when he flirted and wooed her? Did he wow them with his sophistication in hopes of seducing them? Riley knew that yes was the answer to her questions, but as Nick held the door for her and placed his large and comfortingly warm hand to the bottom of her back she couldn't help but feel a little flustered regarding his affections. Blimey, she really was a girl.

However, the heat that was radiating within Stonehaven walls bombarded Riley's senses as she watched Nick closing the door behind them. Riley just flashed him a very small smile as she lifted her hand to her left wrists, hoping to hide the dried blood and the wounded state of her wrist. She really didn't want her family to know the fact she almost got carried off by whatever this creature was. The Doctor was suddenly flung from her thoughts when she heard the booming footsteps of her companions as they moved from the depths of the house.

"Oh thank god!" a familiar voice sounded behind her. Riley just spun around to face her companion and momentarily calmed her heart as she noticed Antonio's form barrelling through the large archway of the living room, grabbed at her hands and flung his arms around her in a bone crushing hug. The werewolf could only smile at his deep concern as her elder momentarily pulled back to look towards his son and then back to her again. "Hours Riley, we've been looking for hours. Are you okay?" Antonio boomed, his eyes flashing towards his son who was ungracefully ruffling his hair in hopes of dislodging the freezing flakes of snow from his hair. As Riley turned to follow Antonio's gaze a large smile overwhelmed her features for she had never seen Nick so dishevelled considering his coat was falling to pieces and now his usually immaculate hair was sodden and messy.

"A few bumps and bruises, nothing serious." Riley mentioned as she motioned towards the wrist she was holding, knowingly keeping the large bruise on her hip a secret considering her stomach and her pelvis had stopped her fall when she finally came back into contact with the trees and the ground. "I'm fine really." Riley breathed as she answered Antonio's incredulous look, her eyes fluttering closed as she tried to shift the conversation in hope of deterring any more questions pointed in her direction.

"She's a lot more resourceful than we believed." Nick smiled, as he placed his car keys onto the foyer table in front of him, careful to not knock any of the picture frames housed on the surface. After that he started pulling his jacket from his arms as he went to hang up his coat.

"I still think Jeremy should take a look at you, just in case." Antonio voiced with suspicious concern.

"I'm a Doctor Tonio, I can look after myself." Riley huffed and from a serious but pointed look provided by his son Antonio abruptly got the message.

"Where's Clay? He looked in pretty rough shape when I dropped him home?" Nicky expressed, hurriedly changing the subject as he stood behind Riley, sharing her concerned expression as the pair of them tried to gauge Antonio's expression.

"He's upstairs. Both Elena and Jeremy are with him in hopes of cleaning his wounds." Antonio started. "He's been here a while but I don't think Jeremy knows how to treat him. They need you're help." Antonio finished as the concern for his fellow pack mate visibly shone on his countenance as he took in the weary forms of his son and Riley.

"That's okay." Riley breathed before turning her attention towards Nick who had been resting his hands to his hips. "Would you be able to fetch some ice packs, my medical bags and the brown vile and ice-packs from my medicare fridge please?"

"Of course. I'll meet you up there." Nick replied with a nod of his head and a sad smile on his features as he headed towards the corridor that lead towards the kitchen while Antonio hurriedly excused himself when he noticed Karl's beckoning form from within the living room. The young Doctor simply heaved in a large lungful of air, as if to prepare herself for what she was about to face as she began to climb the stairs and towards Clayton who would be anything but happy to see her.

0-0-0

Had she been an intruder she had no doubt she would have been jumped by the pack; the stairs were creaking and protesting as the old wood of the twisted stairway struggled to take her weight. She could see the blue wallpapered walls were adjourned with expensive paintings that were either bought or painted by her alpha, but as she turned left at the top of the stairs she was well aware of the movements taking place within Clayton and Elena's bedroom.

She nervously padded towards the door, raised her hand and knocked gently a few times. The inhabitants of the room stopped their talking as they watched Riley uneasily walking into the room, her hair dripping from the melted snow as she placed a very weak smile onto her features.

Elena was seated by Clayton's bedside near the hearth. Her alpha was trifling about by the wall that had become inundated with all her supplies and medical apparatus that she would need to aid in her old friends healing. She knew now that Nick was probably searching high and low for her medical bag considering the pair of them had been unaware of Jeremy's hindsight and brought it up already.

Riley watched as Jeremy gently dabbed at the grotesque scratches that dominated Clayton's left shoulder. As she grew closer she could see that Clayton's left arm was uselessly resting on his thigh, his face blank as he tried to hide the pain that was evidently shining within his eyes. It was also in that moment that she realised Elena was lovingly clinging onto his hand, her fingers absentmindedly running up and down his arm gently as her fingers felt for the warm, hairy skin of his arms; Riley knew that she was trying to alleviate the pain and the only way she thought she could do that was by being with him.

But as the young Doctor came to Clayton's bedside she was finally able to get a good look at Clayton's condition. His usually flushed cheeks were pale and gaunt, his chest was heaving as the pain from his shoulder ricochet into his chest and Riley was able to notice the sheen of sweat that was trailing over his body. There was no denying that Clayton was undergoing the first stages of poisoning, the same poison that she suffered with no less.

"How are you feeling?" Riley questioned as she came to a full stop at the top of Clayton's bed, a small smile on her lips as she ran her fingers through her fringe in hopes of getting it away from her features.

"What do you think?" Clayton snapped, the gruffness of his voice seeming to exhaust him.

"Right, sorry, stupid question." Riley replied with an awkward and nervous exhale of air. Elena simply smiled towards her friend before she turned towards the fire to gaze at the warm flickering flames of the log fire. It seemed she had far too much on her mind to reprimand her husband. Riley just turned towards Jeremy whose normally impassive expression seemed to be faltering as he ushered Riley towards the window.

The young Doctor headed towards the table that held her supplies. Bloodied clothes, bowls of red water and strewn bandages were dominating the table as Riley felt Jeremy's hand resting on her forearm, his eyes staring directly into hers as he prepared to bring her up to speed.

"I've managed to stop the bleeding, but Clay has lost all feeling in his arm." Jeremy whispered, his eyes gazing deeply into hers, her grey eyes fluttering as she studied her expression.

"Paralysis?"

"It seems that way."

"It could be the poison." Riley uttered quietly as she glanced back towards Clayton who was gazing into nothing. It was happening again. The event that was her nightmare was repeating itself but this time she was on the other end. This time she was the healer instead of the patient and for the first time in her life that terrified her. Back then she was only a teenager; a teenager in complete agony she could barely remember her own name so how the hell was she to remember the treatment she received from the doctors?

Images flashed behind her eyes of the doctors poking and prodding as they scrapped tissue samples from her body. Her rational mind clouded by the sheer agony her body suffered as she withered and pulsated under the bright lights of surgery or in her private bay. For once, she could have done with the support of her family, for their serene beings to calm her when her temper would flare or the pain would become unbearable. Much to her dismay she had been on her own. Now she had the constant reminder of unappealing wounds that littered her back. But if she did nothing Clay would die, that was assured and if she let the man die she knew she would never be able to forgive herself. Deep down she knew that Elena herself would personally throw her from the pack and never let her back.

But through the haze of this turmoil she was hoping that the vial she had Nick collecting may help to treat whatever poison this was. She had been spending many evenings sitting in front of her microscopes in hopes of finding some sort of correlation to snake, spider or lizard venom but she was still coming up empty. And now it was one of her family that was suffering at the hands of this creature.

She just looked back towards the werewolf who was sinking into the large bed, his pale complexion, horrific wounds and numerous bandages and bruises that littered his body were only a few ailments her friend had been through. Internally his body was fighting an even greater battle. It seemed Jeremy understood her turmoil as he rested his hand to her shoulder to bring her attention back towards him.

"Riley?" Jeremy voiced gently as he grasped hold of her hand to try and shake her from her haunted memories.

"After my attack I lost all feeling in my legs. Doctors assumed it was due to bruising of my spinal vertebrae, some even speculated that they had been knocked out of alignment but after several x-rays and other tests the doctors were only able to find severe muscle bruising and nothing regarding my spine. After a few days the doctors came to the conclusion that the evasive poison in my blood stream must have been the reason." Riley uttered as she disclosed a little more information regarding her recovery. "A hypothesis was quickly proven when the feeling in my legs started to come back when the doctors finally found a medical solution that was inhibiting the poison. I believe Clayton maybe going through the same thing."

"And do you have any ideas in how to stop it?" Jeremy questioned, but before Riley was even able to answer another knock to the door pulled each of them from their thoughts. Nick was moving into the room, his shirt sticking to his shoulders as the melting snow from his hair had fallen onto his shirt. Riley just headed towards him as the pair of them met halfway.

"I have what you asked for, but I was unable to find your medical bag." Nick voiced as he tried to pass over the ice-packs and the vial in his hands.

"My mistake." Riley started as she took the brown bottle from Nicky. "Jeremy already collected my supplies and made a start." She finished as she motioned towards the desk in which Jeremy was standing in front of.

"So what do you need this for?" Nick frowned as he motioned towards the freezing gels in his hand. Riley's answer was to simply throw a towel at him.

"The ice pack is for your jaw. It should help with the swelling and the bruising." Riley countered as she tugged on a pair of latex gloves, grabbed a large supply of gauze and carried the bottle of liquid towards Clay's bedside. When she felt the mattress dipping under her weight she looked up towards Nick who was shooting her his thanks with his eyes as he perched to the edge of the table with the ice pack pressed to his jaw, a small wince taking hold of his expression before he stayed out of the way.

"I'm hoping this will help with your fever." Riley said as she picked up the gauze and tipped the tip of the bottle to the cotton.

"It's not the fever I'm worried about." Clayton breathed heavily. Riley just rested her hand to his shoulder before dabbing the wound with her pad. She should have expected a resounding yelp and a shove but as she clung onto Clayton's arm the scowl that he gave her was answered with one of her own. The doctor within her really wasn't going to take a no for an answer.

"If you'd just stay still this wouldn't hurt so much." Riley growled as she placed the gauze back to the open wound. Clayton just glared before wincing again.

"Well if you hadn't been following the damn thing we wouldn't be in this mess."

"And if you had arrived on time we could have tracked it together."

"Well you should try letting people in a little more to detail your plans."

"And you should learn to control your temper." Riley resounded just as fiercely as Clayton tried to answer with a comeback of his own. Luckily for Riley he did not have the energy to quarrel with her. "But I will thank you for your protection if it's all the same." Riley finished as she continued to work. As she lifted her eyes to locate the bottle once again she could see an affectionate smile pressed to Nick's lips as he continued to cradle his jaw while Elena smiled lovingly towards the pair of them.

"Why the fuck does this hurt so much? What is in that thing? Acid?" Clayton grumbled painfully as Riley continued to clean at the wound.

"It's a universal anti-venom."

"A universal what?"

"I have friends in high placed Clayton." Riley started with a smile. "I have a friend who runs a lab at the Royal Veterinary College in London. Along with his team he's been trying to synthesis an anti-venom that treats all sorts of poisons. Luckily for us he's a vampire and gave me a vial in hopes of testing it out on werewolves. Said it might even work better on us considering we're half animal. I guess we're going to find out."

"So I'm a test subject?"

"It's been tested on humans and it works pretty well. It's just never been tested on wolves before."

"So I am a lab rat?"

"Yes Clayton, yes you are." Riley uttered sarcastically. "But you're a very beautiful one. Nothing you're going to say is going to stop me from using this."

"Yes there is. I ain't taking that shit."

"You will or the poison that I found in the dead girls back, the poison that I was riddled with and the poison now swimming in your blood will kill you."

"Then can you just hurry the hell up? This is fucking killing me."

0-0-0

Riley was quiet as she picked at the food that had been left over at dinner; her fingers taking the toppings from the pizza bread in front of her as she absentmindedly ate her food in silence at the same time as trying to bind her wrist. It seemed she was only eating out of duty rather than pleasure considering the food was already turning hard and was freezing cold. She had no time to enjoy her dinner; she had far too much to do. As it was she had to take routine checks of Clayton's observations in hopes of the anti-venom aiding his body in combating the poison within his body. She also now had the dutiful task of trying to synthesise more for future use and to also build up an understanding in how the poison worked.

After a few bites, she pushed her food away and stared at the vivid smears of blood on her wrist. The nightmares always seem to catch up to you, she thought. For years she had built her barriers, to become immune to the emotions that came with facing this creature, to be strong and detached enough to fight it and live with the consequences. She knew how to play the part, to keep herself hidden and how to fake her feelings regarding this situation, but still those faces stayed with you. The faces of the dead; today she had almost become one herself.

The Doctor just looked down towards her wrist, the open wounds beginning to scab over as she attempted to clean away the dried blood that had resided on her skin for far to long. But this cold weather was making her a little uncomfortable; whenever it was chilly her back always seemed to seize up. A punishing reminder of the horrific attack that had resulted in her mutilated back and the last day she thought she would see. Her wounds were aching now, but she knew it wasn't because of the temperature but because of what she had lived through today.

She was tempted to call Sophie, needing to compartmentalize the events of the day and distract herself from the events here at Stonehaven. However, when she looked towards the clock on the counter to her left she realised it was far too late to ring her. Unbeknown to her, she realised she had a deep desire to talk to her; she wanted to hear about what was happening in London, she wanted to know about her patients, she wanted to discuss with Sophie regarding the trivial actions she had completed over the last week since their last phone call. Riley was desperate to keep her connections with her own 'human' life and she was freaking out about when she was next to face some sort of normality.

But, she couldn't shake the feeling that Sophie's ability of living a relatively happy human life was the one thing that made them strangers; she breathed a different air, she worried for infinitesimal problems and she did not have to worry about when the next attack on her life might arrive.

So she sat listening to the sounds of the forest that surrounded Stonehaven, which seemed to emphasise the serene stillness of the kitchen. She looked down towards the bowl of water, the gauze pads and the bandages in front of her and she realised she really needed to get her wrist bound before someone came to disturb her. Riley knew that that would be highly unlikely considering Elena was vigilantly staying at Clayton's side, Antonio and Jeremy had retired for the evening and she didn't really know what Nick or Karl were up too.

Nevertheless, Riley let out a frustrated sigh as she placed the gauze into the warm water, rung out any excess liquid and gently placed it to her broken skin to try and remove the dried blood from her skin. The Doctor just winced when she pressed to hard to her tender skin and inwardly cursed as the blood on her gauze stained the water red with blood. The floorboards creaked out in the hallways, and Riley's heart momentarily plummeted when a man with massive shoulders stepped into the room. Karl entered the kitchen, unaware of Riley taking over the table as he clicked on the kettle and went about preparing a hot brew. It was when he turned around towards the fridge to retrieve the milk that he finally noticed her, jumping a little in the process.

"Riley." Karl stated emotionlessly and out of respect.

"Karl." Riley answered, each of them acknowledging the other as Riley continued to deal with her wrist, finally have the ability to somehow wrap it sensibly and not spark too much concern from Karl; not like she was expecting any either.

"How is Clay? You spent a great deal of time with him after you got back?" Karl asked, genuine concern shining within his eyes as he reached for the sugar and pilled a large teaspoon into his mug before stirring it as he came to sit in one of the chairs in front of Riley. It seemed he missed the uncomfortable expression visible on the Doctors features as she conversed with a man she hated being alone with.

"He's resting; which at this moment in time is probably the best thing for him." Riley expressed as she covered her wrist from view, hoping to readjust the folded material when he finally decided to leave her.

"And the prognosis?" He questioned again, his mug lifted to his lips as he took a large gulp while awaiting her response. Riley simply narrowed her eyes towards him, trying to see if he had a hidden motive. When she found none she just let out the air she didn't realise she was holding and spoke over towards him.

"I'm hopeful." She started "The universal anti-venom seems to be helping to nullify the effects the poison had on Clayton's arm and just as I left he had started to move his fingers again. But I need to take a sample of his blood to look under the microscope to make sure everything is working as it should."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then I'll have to come up with something miraculous." Riley breathed, looking away from Karl as she tried to hide her emotions from him, not wanting him to see the fear that what he just said was her biggest worry regarding Clayton's treatment.

"Surely you know what the Doctors treated you with?"

"Its not that simple."

"Not that simple? You're a Doctor, you know how to treat things like this!"

"Sure, tell me what poison it is and I'll sure as hell find the antidote." Riley countered, her features emotionless as she tried to remain as impassive as she could.

"You can't do that?"

"Karl have you even been paying attention? We don't know what creature is hunting us and we don't even know what poison this is? For all we know it could be completely new and there is no known antidote. I'm doing the best I can with the resources I have available to me. I'll be looking over Clayton's blood in the morning in hopes of the antidote working. If not ill have to try and identify the poison and any overlapping characteristics from others. If that is everything, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Sorry, that was my mistake." Karl muttered causing Riley to stop in her tracks as she frowned towards him in bewilderment. She was certain he just apologised to her. "How are you?"

"Excuse me?" Riley voiced as she hung over her chair, her hand on the edge of the table while the other was holding onto the back of the chair as she glanced towards her elder.

"I asked how you were?" He mentioned again with a smile, a smile that only grew when Riley moved back into her chair.

"I'm fine."

"That wrist looks anything but fine." Karl pushed as he placed his steaming mug back to the wooden tabletop.

"If that's all." Riley said as she once again moved onto her feet as she began packing away her supplies, her eyes never contacting with Karl's as she tried to get herself away from the conversation that had become more than uncomfortable.

"Despite what you might think of me, I really do admire you Riley." Karl implored as his eyes bore deeply into Riley's, his large paws cradling his large mug of coffee in his hands as Riley finally managed to look up towards him, her eyes hard and emotionless as she struggled to comprehend what Karl was trying to tell her.

"I'll believe that when I see it."

"Are you really that blind that you don't recognize a compliment when one is given to you?" Karl huffed as Riley continued to move her supplies back towards the bookcase in which it was housed.

"Don't take this the wrong way Karl, but growing up I was never one to receive compliments, especially from men who take pleasure in seeing me fail."

"I don't want to see you fail. I want you to realise you're full potential."

"And the incessant, sometimes hurtful comments is your way of encouraging me?"

"Yes."

"Then you can see my confusion."

"I've seen a difference in you Riley." Karl stated, getting to his feet as he tried to stop Riley from leaving, his hand curling around Riley's uninjured wrist and refused to let her go until she heard what he wanted to say. "You're more confident, stronger. You're excelling under the pressure, coming up with clear battle plans and uncovering the information others would overlook."

"Some would say that's just the scientist in me." Riley said as she glanced down towards the wrist he was still clinging onto.

"I don't care. You've impressed me this last week and I'm seeing the woman you really are."

"Let go of my wrist Karl."

"Surely you know you could do better?"

"What are you implying?" Riley snapped, her eyes narrow as she forced her hand from his grip, taking a cautious step away from him as Karl kept gaining on her.

"Nick Sorrentino is hardly a man a woman of you stature would fall for."

"And you know what kind of man I deserve?"

"Of course I do." Karl said with a smile, understanding that he had finally backed Riley into a corner. He watched as the younger werewolf fluttered her eyes in hopes of finding some way of escape; even now she impressed him.

"You gunna tell me I should fall for a man like you?" Riley countered quickly ducking out of his way so she was standing behind him.

"I could give you a great deal more than Nick could ever imagine."

"I think I can make up my own mind thank you." Riley uttered before bolting from the room. She ran down the small corridor, her mind focused on escaping to the safety of her bedroom. However, she did not fail to notice the echoing footsteps of Karl as she accidently bumped into Nick who was rounding from the archway of the living room.

"You alright?" Nick asked her gently, a large frown on his features as he took in the bewildered, but a little panicked expression overwhelming Riley's features. It was in that moment that Karl came into view. Nick took in the look riley pointed in Karl's direction before excusing herself and running into her bedroom. Nick however just stared at Riley's door, his mouth hanging open in surprise as he turned towards Karl who was also training his attention from Riley's bedroom towards Nick.

"What on earth was that all about?"

"Beats me." Karl voiced before he too excused himself and headed to bed leaving Nick standing completely alone and rather confused.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Stonehaven and the surrounding environment was starting to bustle with activity as dawn began to break. Riley could hear the gentle whistling of Antonio as he turned his attention to the washing that had been neglected from the last few days. Her phone was vibrating on her bedside table as it tried to remind her to answer the text message she had received from Sophie questioning her about when she was coming home while the postman was nervously tip toeing towards the front door; his eyes frantically searching the swaying forest before he literally shoved the post through the letter box and bolted back towards his van. Riley couldn't stop the smirk from falling from her lips as she curled her arms around her chest once again as she went back to her pacing.

She had only gotten a few hours of sleep, and even then she had been plagued with terrifying images of her hunting the previous day and she had barely found the motivation to get up and dressed. Today meant suffering Claytons continuous grumbling as she went about his care, growling at her to make sure she understood what was happening, but the truth was, as she looked at the photos she had taken through the microscope the evening previous she realized that she really needed to recap on her animal and human haematology.

The young Doctor simply walked over to her desk that was placed in front of the large bay windows, a small frown overwhelming her features when she studied the purple dyed coccus shapes that was Clayton's blood cells. She had hoped to understand how Clayton's body was fighting the venom at the same time as trying to uncover how the anti-venom utilized the infection. But, as her grey eyes took in the shapes of the spotted basophil cells it seemed Clayton's immune system was releasing inflammatory agents such as histamines, cytokines and interleukins to try and replicate specific disease fighting leucocytes. Nevertheless, it was the reason why that was confusing her.

Then again, it seemed too good a day to be plague with so many different thoughts and emotions. She knew what her pack were asking of her and deep within her she knew that the task they had set her was near impossible. She didn't know how this venom worked, hell she didn't even know why Clayton's body was producing the leucocytes that it was; for all she knew that was what was supposed to happen.

However, it was the knock on her bedroom door that abruptly pulled the scientist from her thoughts and pacing. With a squeak the door to her room opened and the resounding echoing footsteps welcomed her Alpha into her room. Riley refused to allow the frown to engulf her features as she took in Jeremy's bangs falling into his eyes while his hair was pulled tightly into a hairband at the nape of his neck. It was when her eyes noticed the large purple circles shining under his eyes did she really understand just how stressful this situation was becoming for her Alpha.

"Riley, I see you're already awake." Jeremy expressed coolly with a very small smile, a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"So are you, you're up early." Riley countered with a very small smile as she fluttered her eyes to study Jeremy's blank expression as she continued to cling onto the photographs.

"I needed to clear my head so I went for a run." He replied gently as he headed for her bed and sat to the edge, patting the mattress next to him once he was comfortable. "Sit with me a moment." He finished, smiling when Riley raised her eyebrows before she too trod over to her alpha's side and fell onto the mattress next to him, consciously relaxing when she felt his hand come up and intertwine their fingers together. "I'm really glad you're here Riley." Jeremy started as he angled his body so he was looking towards Riley who was awkwardly studying his eyes.

"I just wanna help." Riley replied wearily with a small smile and a half shrug of her shoulders.

"I know and I appreciate that." Jeremy voiced with his own uncommon smile as the grip he had on her hand tightened.

"But?"

"But, I fear this situation won't be enough to keep you here with us." Jeremy replied truthfully as his dark eyes seemed to sparkle with unobserved emotion. Riley simply balked at him, unsure as to where this deep sense of sincerity had come from considering her Alpha never needed nor wanted his pack to know just how deeply his emotions and his concerns ran through him. But as the Doctor stared at him the shock of him saying and displaying the things he was left her speechless. "You've never really given yourself the chance to really accept us Riley, to let your heart come to trust us and allow us to care and fight for you. What happened to you to make you so cynical? Was your upbringing so uptight that you refuse yourself the love of a family?"

"My father abandoned me and the rest of my family blamed me for him leaving, what do you think?" Riley countered bitterly, snapping a little to harshly considering Jeremy was only concerned for her. Then again, how else did he expect her to react to questions so deeply intrusive into the past she so desperately fought to keep hidden; she did not want the painful reminders of how uninvolved her mother had been as she was growing and the continuous oppression she got from her sisters.

"Riley, you're twisting my words." Jeremy started, his face having fallen a little at her remark "Its just my only priority is protecting the pack and you are part of that. I need your help both now and in the future. You have valuable information on these creatures and you're dreams seem to be linked to the things happening here. I would be a fool to let you leave." Jeremy finished, wanting to go on before the knocking of the open door quickly pulled them from their reprieve.

"Jeremy, sorry." Antonio expressed as he apologetically moved into the room, his large form filling the doorframe, "I don't mean to interrupt, its just Karl has heard back from his contact from Australia." Antonio finished as he turned his full attention to the older man who was releasing his hold on the younger werewolf.

"It's alright Tonio," Jeremy smiled as he invited Antonio further into the room "Did his contact find out whether the murders were linked to the situation we have here?"

"He believes so."

"But why would these creatures kill off high risk victims? Most of the time police think men killed like this are linked to gangs. What makes Karl's contact so sure that this is the creatures kill?" Riley asked, confusion evident on her features as she got to her feet to place the photo back with the others before she turned to her companions and folded her arms across her chest while Antonio leant his large shoulders to the edge of her wardrobe.

"Karl said that the creature may have singled out one of the victims because he was killed very differently to the others."

"He was scratched." Jeremy stated, seeming to already know the answer as Antonio nodded his head once again.

"Right, it appears that he was also dragged away from the other men and hidden behind a dumpster to try and hide his body. Unluckily for him the wild animals got to him before the authorities found him and pieces were left on show."

"The police thought the scratches could be some sort of signature of a human killer?"

"Apparently so, but Karl's contact believes the investigation to have gone stale and no further leads."

"Why was this guy killed so differently though? Was he a supernatural?" Riley asked, pulling the attention of her other companions towards her.

"Karl can't be sure, nor can the other guy as he wasn't a werewolf and doesn't have a good working relationship like we do with the other races."

"So the only thing we can tell is that these creatures are hunting and killing certain targets." Riley voiced with uncertainty as she played with her bottom lip nervously.

"There were no eyewitnesses left alive to know if this is a different creature or the one that has been preying on you." Antonio stated as his dark eyes bored deeply into the young Doctor's. "But it clarifies that Riley may be in trouble."

"Great, just what I needed." Riley grumbled sarcastically as she looked towards the corner of her room.

"We really need to identify this thing. We needed to figure out how it hunts, how it kills and why it kills. Maybe then we can find a way to destroy it." Jeremy started. "Antonio, when he's awake, send Nick to the library to try and get as many books on the Arthurian legend as he can, hopefully then we can try to get better acquainted with the history as we can. Hopefully one of these legends details something similar to these creatures."

"Will do." Antonio nodded as he stood to his full height once again.

"I'm going to check on Clayton." Riley said, "Hopefully he'll be up and about again today." Riley finished before hurriedly excusing herself in hopes of being alone with her thoughts for just a few private moments.

0-0-0

_A cloaked figure dashed through a swirling mist of fog, tripping and stumbling through the deep snow and toppling upon the broken foliage along the dark barriers of the mountains forest. She weaved through a scatter of mutilated bodies that blocked her path. There was no time to stop and check whether any were still alive, she had to swallow her pain and her grief as she tumbled past the soldiers that had sacrificed their life. She had to get away from here, to find a place to hide till the danger had passed. Staggering and reeling from the blistering pain caused by her wounds, she forced herself to press onward. Oh what she would give for Merlin's healing magic. She was on the verge of collapse, but she couldn't falter now, not when she was so close to her rendezvous point. There would be plenty of time to collapse and rest back in Camelot. Right now, it was imperative she makes it down the mountain for she held information of vital importance. The whole well-being of Camelot depended on her and her alone, a burden she had not wished to carry considering she was supposed to be queen sometime in the future. _

_Swathed in her dark royal red cloak, she ignored the massive amount of blood that gushed out of several deep wounds. She was extremely dizzy from the blood loss and she questioned herself many times as her old leg injury twinged and hindered her escape. She wondered if she was even going in the right direction, but her doubts were relieved when she remembered what Merlin told her once; moss grew on the side of the tree or mountain facing north and north was where she needed to go. _

_New blood trickled down her face from the gash that travelled from her forehead, curled around her eye and ended at her jaw, remembering how the tip of the sword felt as it cut through her skin. Wet and dried blood mattered her deep brown hair against the side of her head. Scrapes and bruises from falling onto mountain rocks burned as she tripped and landed on the freezing ground. Images around her swam in slow circles as she greedily drew in the cold brisk midnight air; the air was not crisp and minty as it should be under normal circumstances. On the contrary, the air was tainted with the charred smell of smouldering wood and burnt human flesh. Breathing in the fumes brought an uncomfortable stinging sensation to her lungs and added miserably to her already ailing health. _

_The young woman simply heaved her damaged body to it's feet, her leather gloves and vambraces fighting to keep her hands warm as her red and silver chain mailed royal amour was adorned by clumps of snow. She drew her hood tighter around her features to avoid being pelted by the rain of embers and snow that appeared to be falling from the sky. In dodging the debris, she tripped over an unforeseen boulder; just as she was about to tumble head first into the snow once again, she grabbed the side of the mountain to steady her from falling. The impact sent a bolt of excruciating pain through her body, causing her to cry out. The pain was so intense that she thought she was going to pass out for sure. She breathed and willed herself to keep from fainting. _

_A quick roll of thunder rumbled somewhere over the mountains, like a reminder that she needed to keep moving. She lifted her head and surveyed the sky for a minute, then forced herself to run. There was nothing in the strength and prowess of her blade that could help her now. Her strength diminished tremendously considering she had fought for hours to defend herself and her fellow knights against the dark creatures; they were too strong, zapping all hope and passion and light from their environment as they fought the soldiers of 'light'. She simply grew weaker just thinking about it as she bled out dark blood. _

_She had put a good distance between her and the creatures. Their winged, fire-breathing, sharp-clawed mounts were what terrified her. They had swept through her company within seconds, picking up her men and bashing them against the mountainside. Screams of fear and terror had washed over her body and she had been frozen in fear; Faeron had never been this terrifying. And what was worse she still had no idea as to who or what they were. After all, they had done their damage and would no doubt catch up to finish her off as the taint within her blood sung to them her location. Full of determination, she gathered up all of her strength and picked up her pace, her server limp not hindering her running as she anxiously checked over her shoulder and the small leather pouch that was strapped securely to her wrist. Her bloodied hand trembled as she groped for its content to confirm that it hadn't fallen out during the length of her escape. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized the object was still there. _

_But her hold on consciousness was slipping away. Numbness spread limb by limb. In a matter of seconds she collapsed, falling forward and she hit the ground. She saw a hazy fog surrounding the vast mountain range in front of her before her eyelids drooped to a close and she welcomed the comfort of the darkness. _

_0-0-0_

That time it was different; that time she felt Ayleths fear and pain; the emotions that usually dissipated once she awoke stayed with her. Her nightmare seemed to pulsate throughout her body as she sat within the warm confines of the front room, the fire blazing in the fireplace as her memories were plagued with images of a ferocious battle on the top of a mountain, the familiar smell of burning flesh and the sheer panic of running for your life seemed to overwhelm her. The pictures wrapped around her, almost suffocating any rational thoughts as she tried to force herself back to the studying in which she was conducting before her eyes became to heavy.

For hours she had been sat in the lounge, her eyes frantically studying the complicated schematics sent to her via her friend in London regarding the molecular structures of the anti-venom in hopes of making a connection in how the poison reacted to the introduced anti-venom. However, she had text him a few hours ago asking if he was available to talk because she was coming up empty and Riley had the nauseating feeling that it wouldn't be too long until another attack and the venom was vital in eradicating the creatures primary weapon.

But, Riley was abruptly pulled from her discouraging studying session for her mind was blank on just how the anti-venom was binding to the venom; Riley felt that her intense scientific background and knowledge was inadequate at the time it was needed most. She could hear the harsh rattling of keys within the Stonehaven front door as someone ungracefully forced their way into the building like a shopaholic would after a day of spending. She couldn't deny it but she was a little surprised to hear Nick's frustrated voice.

"I am this close to loosing my shit with you! I watch Criminal Minds you jerk! I can make you're death look like an accident!" Nick roared, the designer very rarely loosing his easy-going demeanour meaning something must have really ruffled his feathers to get him to retaliate in the way he was. The young Doctor was about to head towards the foyer in hopes of calming Nick but with her sensitive hearing she could hear the creaking of the upstairs floorboards and the rickety stairs which meant Elena must have convinced Clayton to stretch his legs; especially now that Riley had advised him to get up and walking.

"Was that the unknown caller again?" Elena asked, her kindness etched into her voice as she vigilantly stood at Clayton's side as her husband grunted a little as he navigated the staircase.

"Unfortunately." Nick sighed as he cancelled the call and juggled the books and his phone once again; all the while, the three of them were unaware of Riley struggling to block out their conversation considering she didn't want to eavesdrop. "Not saying anything is one thing, but the heavy breathing is really starting to get on my nerves." Nick uttered sadly, his voice holding so many different emotions Riley couldn't help her heart leaping out towards him.

Their pack had known of the mysterious phone calls Nick was receiving and their concern only grew considering he had been receiving them for over two years. Each one of them had tried to support him through it; either by convincing him to change his number or by going with him to the police, each time had failed. Now, he was constantly plagued by this unknown caller who rung him at all hours of the day. Riley could remember a time Nick and his father had been staying with her over in London; Antonio had headed off to a meeting with his executives but Nick and Riley had stayed at her flat to watch a couple of films she had been meaning to watch. For them it had been late morning, but for the stalker it was very late at night; had Nick been home and in the States that call would have woken him.

"You should consider changing you're number again my friend." Clayton's voice sounded, surprising Riley by his gentleness. Again, this shouldn't have startled her considering Nick and Clay had been friends since they were eight.

"I was free of creepy stalker calls for two months before they started again, I don't see how changing it again will be much use."

"Why do you answer unknown calls anyway?" Elena questioned, "If you're having this much trouble surly you would know not to answer them."

"My clients and associates ring me on a variety of different numbers. It is also the primary way of contacting me if a new business wants to hire me. Dad can't afford me not picking up the phone considering my department is doing remarkably well at the moment."

"Maybe you should consider remembering the number." Clayton said with a slight humorous tone to his voice.

"That would be sensible." Nick replied with his own light-hearted tone.

"Join us for lunch?" Clayton asked and Riley could only assume that Nick nodded his head for he said nothing and echoing footsteps quickly followed. As they left Riley was in two minds whether to follow them. She had been looking at the same stupidly long scientific names of various lyophilized venom samples that had been used for hours and she was bored. She had been trying to get her head around the complicated methods London researchers had used when unmasking certain venom glands within a variety of different reptiles and she really couldn't face looking at another protein transcript that coded for distinctive DNA bases. But then again, she didn't want to intrude on the time Elena, Clayton and Nick had, for the three of them had spent very little time together since this had all started. Riley also didn't want to alienate Clayton further considering this was the first day he had been able to get out of bed and she doubted he would want to see her anytime soon considering all she had done was poke and prodded him for the last couple of days.

To her surprise, she suspected that the kitchen door that linked the back door area to the living room was open for she was still able to hear their conversation albeit a little quieter. Again, Riley felt remarkably guilty for eavesdropping but when none of them realised she was even sitting in the lounge she thought she could get away with it or completely blank them out as background noise as she took in the sophisticated molecular drawings.

"I'm glad you're up and about Clay, when I dragged you back, half conscious, it didn't look good." Nick stated after a few moments of quiet as the three of them dug into whatever they had found for lunch.

"Yes, well, if it wasn't for Riley and her quick thinking I doubt I would be here." Clayton uttered truthfully. His words stopped the clattering of knives and forks on plates and made Riley hover her pencil over the paper while she thought her heart might beat its way out from behind her ribs and sternum. Did Clayton really say those things? Did he really just compliment her?

"Come again?" Nick spluttered as he tried to regain his composure, the shock of Clay's words had seemed to surprise the other werewolf just as much as it had the Doctor.

"You heard me. Though she can be a total pain in the ass and stubborn and diffident and standoffish and…."

"We get the picture Clay." Nick voiced dejectedly as he tried to get Clay to state his point.

"I think she is a remarkable Doctor there's no denying that and her determination and intelligence will get us through this but she's still the reason were in this mess."

"Was that you're perverse way of saying that secretly I think Riley is a very intelligent young lady and I want to thank her for saving my life." Nick said with a smile.

"Don't push it." Clayton replied and Riley couldn't stop the smile from washing onto her features considering Clay had unknowingly given her a complement when he thought she was nowhere around.

Nevertheless, before Riley could do anything, or even listen a little more, the clattering of her phone ringing pulled her attention away from the conversation. She also noticed that the trio in the kitchen also quickly stopped talking as they too heard what was happening within the walls of the other room. The young Doctor inwardly cursed considering she had been intently listening to a private conversation between her pack mates; a conversation that just so happened to evolve around her.

Nevertheless, Riley clambered for her phone in hopes of not making her presence in the front room known; as she recognised the name displayed on her screen, the relief that washed through her body was like a man sipping his first liquids after being in a coma for a decade.

"William!" Riley greeted with a relieved smile.

"_How many times have I told you to call me Will little wolf?"_ The melodically voice sounded through the phone. It was then that Riley's smile reached her eyes as she spoke to an old friend who was using the nickname he gave her.

"I'll start using it when you call me by my given name." Riley countered jokingly, her spirit soaring as she fell into a familiar banter with a friend that always seemed to have the time for her, even if it was to ask a stupid question or if she just needed the comfort only a supernatural could provide; even if he was a four-hundred year old vampire. Nevertheless, the conversation she knew she needed to have with Will set her nerves on edge due to the enormity of it; she wasn't surprised that her body had worked on instinct as she began to pace the living room.

"_Fair enough_." He mused, his soft voice radiating over the speaker before Riley could hear his gentle chuckling. "_Anyway, though I welcome the small talk, we both know you hate that so what did you need? Got a trivial question to ask me? Or did you just want to listen to my ravenously beautiful voice?"_

"In you're dreams!" Riley exclaimed with a singular laugh. "Unfortunately I need to discuss something a little difficult with you."

"_Uh-oh, werewolf problems?_"

"Something like that." Riley countered as she placed her pencil back to her elegant scrawlings.

"_I'm going to see you again right? I really don't fancy arranging a funeral service, too much work_."

"William seriously?" Riley interrupted, exasperated by his joking "How the hell did you ever become a scientific researcher?"

"_I dunno… my good looks_?"

"You're so full of yourself!"

"_And you love it!_"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"_Do I sense some confidence in you my little wolf? Normally you would have backed down. Blimey, maybe this trouble you have gotten yourself into won't be all that bad. Especially if you're able to stand up for yourself_."

"Though I appreciate the compliment, I believe we may have strayed from topic."

"_Right, you were about to fill me in regarding an evil mastermind's end of the world plot."_

"Finally, we're done with the small talk." Riley joked with a roll of her eyes.

"_What did you need little wolf?" _Will asked gently and Riley just pinched the bridge of her nose in attempts of gaining some courage as she broached a subject she really didn't want to face.

"We've got a problem over here in the States." She started "With the creatures we've been studying."

"_Ah_." Was all William said "_That kind of problem_."

"Yeah. At least five young woman have been killed, we found a disturbing mass grave attached to a weird cult worshipping sacrifice cave and one of my pack was also scratched by this thing."

"_Blimey._" Will breathed; the young werewolf knew that her vampire friend would be rubbing the back of his neck if she were with him. "_How long have you been over there?_"

"Me? About a week, but the five women have been killed over four weeks and the mass grave happened at least four months ago. With the temperature not reaching above zero for the last couple of months, the bodies have yet to decay."

"_And you're friend? How is he?_"

"Recovering." Riley started. "The anti-venom sample you gave me seems to have utilized the venom but I was hoping to synthesize more in case this happens again. I'm ringing to try and understand how the hell you did it as I'm coming up empty." Riley informed. However, as she continued her pacing she was so engrossed in her light conversation that she had failed to hear the clicking of shoes against the wooden floor until Nick was encasing her shoulder with her warm hand. She shoved her head towards him, her eyes taking in the concern and the edge of apprehension that was twinkling in his eyes. She simply smiled at him as her fingers moved through the strands of her fringe, a manipulation she only seemed to do when she was nervous. Nick mouthed if he should go while pointing behind her shoulder but Riley simply grabbed hold of his hand as he took a step to leave. This quickly made Nick stop and look down at her.

Even though she wore her blank expression, he was looking into her grey eyes that just so happened to be the window into her emotions. She knew that he could see the uncertainty and apprehension while doubt and despair also shone within her eyes. But as she looked up at him, observing the beautiful man who was intently studying her, the compassion and overwhelming affection that seemed to overtake his handsome features made Riley's heart shudder in her chest as Nick took a step closer and gently placed his large hands to the small of her back as he provided her with the comfort she so desperately needed as she spoke with her vampire friend. She also noticed the fluttering of her heart and the butterflies bouncing from within the walls of her stomach.

"_Damn, I was hoping you didn't need to use that._"

"I don't understand." Riley voiced and a frown took over her expression, unknown to her that Nick was looking down at her with his own concern.

"_We've been collecting samples from both human and animal victims of this creature and after further study, synthesising an effective antidote that can treat each strain of the venom is proving difficult._"

"Strains? Please tell me you haven't found evidence that there is more than one of these things?" Riley complained, "We don't have time or the man power to identify a variety of different individuals to be able to collect samples for study. These things are far too dangerous and are already two or three steps ahead of us. They have us chasing our tails. Literally."

"_I know._" Will stated "_And most of the time I would agree with you but we've found evidence that each time the venom is treated by a certain antidote it mutates and evolves into something entirely different_."

"How is that even possible? Not even the common cold defends itself that quick."

"_The common cold is a RNA-based virus with only ninety-two thousand base pairs within its tidy genome and unfortunately has no 'junk' DNA and a noticeable mutation occurs after each infection. That is why we can't synthesise an effective antibiotic for the damn thing." Will explained "But it must also be noted that we have found a strong correlation between venom composition within certain snake species and their geographical position. This is why I believe we have more than one individual because we need to consider that bites or in our case the scratches of this conspecific population differ in molecular structure and so require different treatments_."

"So you're saying the creature I've faced in the UK has a different strand to the one over here in the States?" Riley questioned, as she looked up at Nick, her stress and emotions evident in her voice. Nick just gave her free hand a squeeze.

"_It's a theory. Unless the one from here has followed you over there, which could be true considering we have no idea what the hell we're facing_."

"I positively ID the one we've faced here as the one I've wounded back home."

"_You must have seriously pissed this thing off if it's following you_."

"You wouldn't have constructed this theory if you hadn't collected global samples. You think I'm naive for thinking there couldn't be more than one of these things."

"_I think you're stressed, scared and overwhelmed by the whole thing. Which is why you may be hitting a brick wall with your investigation. And you don't have my team or equipment. You forget Riley that I've been studying this thing for as long as you've been hunting it._" Will soothed, his words and Nick's presence allowed her to relax if but a little, and before she could say the next thing she wanted too William cut her off. "_But the disconcerting thing is that when we have tested a certain antidote on one sample, when we do the same test on a different sample its useless. The sample seemed to be resistant." _

"Now that is definitely not possible."

"_You're telling me. Its like they're a hive of bees that seem to protect a queen. I tell you what it's like, it's like one of these creatures comes into contact with the venom, sends a signal like some crazed monster wi-fi to their 'queen' who mutates her monsters and making them immune to a certain anti-venom." _

"Are you trying to tell me they have a weird physical defence that acts like a messed up hive mind? So as soon as one comes into contact with the antidote all of them are immune?"

"_Unfortunately yes, which is why we have stopped testing. We can't afford to waste the time and substrates we have left. All we can do it use what we think will treat the scratches and hope for the best." _

"I don't like that."

"_None of us do, but it's the only choice we have; unless you can provide definitive information that may help us."_

"Brick wall remember."

"_Right._"

"Well thank you William. At least you've positively confirmed that there are more of these things out there."

"_It's only a theory, but the amount of bodies that are being identified with similar causes of death, we can't afford to ignore them_."

"I'll keep you posted."

"_Thank you, oh and Riley..."_

"Yeah?"

"_Keep yourself safe. I meant what I said earlier… funeral services take forever to plan_." He expressed with a humorous laugh, a quip that received a small laugh from Riley. They signed off, promising to keep the other in the loop and as Riley lowered her phone from her ear she groaned. The young Doctor rested her forehead to Nick's shoulder, relaxing as his familiar scent overwhelmed her olfactory senses and his body heat warmed her. Nick in return just wrapped his long arms around her further as he drew her into one of his famous embraces.

"Not the answer you wanted to hear?" He whispered into her hair, unaware of the goosebumps that were adjourned to her bare skin.

"Worse." Was Riley reply before she pulled away, but only a little, so she was able to look up into his beautiful features. "We need to tell the rest of the Pack, they need to hear the bad news." Riley finished before succumbing to Nick's comfort once again.


	21. Chapter Twenty

"Well, this is the most pointless thing we've ever done." Said Clayton, glancing up from the thick ancient book he held within his hands as he gazed around at his pack. Seven mugs of steaming coffee sat on the table in the center of the room, books strewn here there and everywhere as each of them struggled to comprehend the conflicting ideas of Arthurian lore and myth. The large werewolf lifted a worn notepad and jotted something down onto the paper as he tried to reference something that could be important while his wife was quietly reading something from her own book. Riley however couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her features as he complained; who would've thought that it was the anthropology university lecturer who would have grown bored first.

Riley was surrounded by her pack, each of them engrossed in their pile of books as they tried to uncover anything that could be of use to them in identifying the creatures that had been plaguing their lives in recent weeks. But as she sat with her back leaning against Nick's side, feeling his protective arm draped around her middle while his other hand held his book, she really didn't want to move. She felt included, she felt like she was a part of something and deep down, she knew she was the sole focus of Nick's attention; baring the book of course. It was days like these, when the pack stayed together, researching their threat and informing each other of interesting or poignant facts that they really did work effectively. Maybe that was because they all had such dissimilar backgrounds. They had an Anthropologist lecturer, a journalist, a businessman, two doctors, a graphic designer and a con man all working together, all sharing their own thoughts into what they considered important. No wonder the northern American pack was one of the strongest in the world.

"The sooner we've found something, the quicker we can finish." Jeremy expressed coolly, his eyes never leaving his book as he addressed his son who huffed a little before turning his attention back to his book.

"Has anyone actually found any correlating information or is it all different?" Elena asked, her gentle voice rousing everyone from their books as they looked towards each other in hopes of understanding whether their reading was making a difference. From the expectant looks on each of their expressions it seemed they still had a long way to go. "Any mention of these creatures?"

"Not yet." Nick voiced as he moved the arm he had cuddled around Riley to turn his page before he replaced his arm to where it was again. "Though from what I'm reading I really don't want to meet a Serket."

"The weird scorpion, crab thing?" Riley questioned as she moved her head to the side to point her question to Nicky who looked down at her with an astonished expression.

"That's the one." He started before a frown engulfed his eyebrows. "Are you a historian now too?"

"One of my books mentioned it. I thought I could be onto something when it went into detail about it's poison, but from what the author was trying to convey it sounds very similar to the modern Scorpion venom which is dissimilar to the samples we have collected from this creature." Riley answered before turning back to her book again, unknown that her pack members, barring Clay and Karl, were smirking at her; she also refused to let on that she had seen those creatures in her nightmares.

However, just like yesterday Riley was abruptly pulled from her researching when the vibrating of her phone within her jeans pocket redirected her attention. The boring but simple ringing phone tone pulled everyone's attention to Riley who was awkwardly readjusting her seated position and pulling out her phone. Again, she quickly checked the caller ID and a smile grew onto her features.

"Sophie, hey!"

"_Riley, oh thank god you're okay!"_ Sophie's frantic voice sounded, her words making Riley's stomach churn as she looked down towards the ground, refusing to get distracted by her packs concerned expression.

"Something vexed is it?" Riley replied, an edge of humour and sarcasm evident in her tone as she spoke with her English friend, but when she felt Nick's grip on her hip tighten she realised now probably wasn't the best time to be joking.

"_Are you seriously trying to tell me you haven't seen the news? The story is huge and happening right in Bear Valley! I'm surprised they haven't called you in, they need as many Doctors and Pathologists as they can._ "

"What are you talking about? We've not heard anything from town. We didn't even get our newspaper delivered this morning"

"_Probably due to the fact Bear Valley is in lock down and no one is allowed in or out!_" Sophie huffed frustrated. "_Oh for goodness sake just turn on the news and you'll see what I'm talking about!_" Riley simply complied with her friend's instructions as she unfolded her legs and motioned towards Elena to switch on the TV that hung on the wall opposite the sofa she was seated on. Clayton had been in the process of heaving himself to his feet but his Doctor simply scalded him for doing too much considering he was only a few days into his recovery. What she saw made her blood run cold and matters only got worse when Nick unconsciously reached for her hand.

The TV was inundated with helicopter images of police cars and ambulances and fire engines, their flashing lights penetrating the green of the forest that encased the motel that was forever burned into her memory. Somehow, a group of hikers that had been navigating the snowy woodland of Bear Valley had fallen upon wolf tracks and unfortunately put two and two together. They had been following the local newspapers regarding possible wolf attacks that had been killing local woman and had thought that if they killed the animal they would get the bounty. It seemed they got a little more then they bargained for, as it wasn't a wolf they found; instead they would be haunted by the images of hundreds of bodies for possibly the rest of their lives.

But Riley couldn't stop the dread from filling her stomach, as the voice of the newsreader became background noise. Had it been her tracks that the hikers located? Was it her fault that the FBI was now in Bear Valley? The human authorities could not turn their backs against something this devastating and now they were taking Petersons claims of a rabid wolf seriously. Everything she had done to sway the police away from thinking an animal had killed these woman has become null and void; now her pack were in even more danger because it seems an animal behaviourist had noticed the varying sizes of footprints and stated that officials needed to look for a pack of animals. Great, today really couldn't get any worse.

"_Holy Hannah!_" Riley exclaimed, struggling to pull herself from her reprieve, unknowing to her friend that her and Nick had been the ones to find the desolation in the first place. It was times like these when she really hated hiding what she was, because now she had to try and communicate her acted surprise and utter horror. "Is this real?" Riley finished, hoping the forced bewilderment was evident within her voice.

"_Yahuh!_" Was Sophie's reply, obviously buying Riley's fake surprise.

"But in Bear Valley? Nothing ever happens here!"

"_Well not anymore! Seems the whole of the American government is involved in this thing! Bear Valley will always be remembered for this!_ "

"Bet the feds are regretting not listening to Sherriff Peterson now. He had asked for their help" Riley stated sadly, her concerned eyes shifting towards Nick who was pointing her a look of encouragement, knowing how difficult this was to keep a conversation of lies going and making them believable.

"_You're involved in this?"_ Sophie gasped "_You're there for a funeral, spend this time grieving not getting mixed up in kamikaze, hit man murder plot!_"

"Not buying the whole wolf story then?"

"_Are you kidding me? Prints that big would make this wolf nearly five ft tall which is ridiculous_." Sophie explained; Riley was thankful that they were speaking over the phone because she was unable to see the raw panic that was evident within her eyes. Like usual her composed expression did not give away her emotions, but as she flashed her silver eyes towards Nick his features softened and the grip he had on her hand tightened; it seemed that Nick could read her perfectly for he knew exactly how she was feeling. Sophie would never know how close to the truth she really was and it seemed that her pack were intently listening to their conversation; her eyes shifted to her Alpha and she could see that Jeremy was asking her to keep the conversation going, to ask as many questions as she could to try and discover what Sophie and maybe the rest of the human population really thought of this new investigation.

"But how would you explain the footprints?" Riley started "And the scratches? A wolf couldn't leave the kind of lacerations that the authorities have found on the victims."

"_What scratches?_" Sophie questioned, concern and curiosity sparkling within the undertone of her voice; but it was those two words that had Riley faltering and scrambling for something to say, anything that would come to mind as she closed her eyes, understanding just how badly she had screwed up. Had the news report really not mentioned anything about the scratches?

"You know, the scratches that dominated the victim's back." Riley stammered, saying the first thing that came to mind which unconsciously made Riley feel the mutilated flesh of her back against the soft fabric of her t-shirt.

"_Nobody said anything about scratches_." Sophie voiced but before Riley could even justify that statement with a response Sophie cut her off. "_You're remembering aren't you_?" Riley simply looked towards Nick again, her confusion openly displayed on her features as Sophie's words chilled her to her core.

"Remembering? Remembering what?" Riley asked, forcing herself away from her companions as she got to her feet and started to pace behind the sofa, consciously aware of her Pack's eyes studying her intently. The young Doctor simply ran her hand through her fringe as she tried to alleviate the tension from her shoulder; nothing helped.

"_This is happening far to soon, you're not ready…. I'm not ready. Things haven't been prepared, you're under threat and I need help…. If only I could find him." _Sophie rambled, more to herself than anyone else but Riley's and her packs sensitive hearing was able to hear everything.

"Sophie? Sophie!" Riley shouted, struggling to break her friend from her ramblings "What's going on? What am I not ready for? What's coming after me? Sophie!"

"_Riley, you need to listen to me._" Sophie replied suddenly, completely failing to comprehend Riley's frantic questions and the utter terror that was spiraling around her as the werewolf tried to comprehend the enormity of the situation and the possible danger she could be in. "_Something is coming, something dark and dangerous that has the potential to destroy the world._" Sophie started before she gasped and the line went silent, the only reason Riley knew the call hadn't ended was due to hearing the wind over the speakerphone.

"Sophie? Is everything okay?"

"_Yeah, I just thought I heard something_." She expressed. "_But Riley, you need to prepare yourself because you're important to this…_" Nevertheless before either were able to get another word spoken to the other, a loud cracking of a tree branch and the unforgettable, hair raising snarl that emanated over the speaker grills had Riley on edge, her emotions going haywire as panic and fear and desolation and total helplessness overwhelmed her.

"Sophie?!" Riley panicked, her voice rising as she helplessly heard her friend's heavy breathing. "Sophie, YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE!" Riley bellowed down the phone, the young Doctor unaware of how her Pack were getting to their feet as they tried to comprehend the situation Riley was getting herself involved in. Elena simply looked towards her husband and grasped hold of his hand while Clayton fluttered his eyes between Elena and Nick who was shooting concerned glances of worry. Riley simply stood in the doorway, her back to her family as she listened to Sophie's begging, her voice cracking as the woman knew she was about to die. But as Elena came to stand next to her alpha she was consciously aware of how the line was buzzing. Sophie was gone.

"Sophie? Sophie!" Riley shouted again before looking at her phone a handful of times. The werewolves watched as one of their own frantically keyed in the numbers to a phone number that she had memorized, her heart shuddering in her chest as Riley frantically listened to the dialing tone and prayed to any god that would listen that Sophie was safe and got away. Two redials later Riley's emotions were beginning to get the better of her and all she could do was drop her mobile to her side. Elena was expecting a furious reaction from the Doctor, for Riley to throw her phone across the room, screaming in anguish as she replayed the horrific last moments of her best friend. Instead Riley just stood there, looking down at her phone, unable to believe that Sophie was truly gone. Nick looked over his shoulder towards her; deep dejection and sadness evident on his features as he felt all the things Riley should have been feeling. When was he going to pick up the courage to tell her? For years the pair of them had been dancing around each other, and now, when Riley needed him the most he was going to be there. She just hoped that the pair of them would finally allow their feelings to override reason. "I need to go." Was all Riley said before she headed from the room, Nick and Jeremy hot on her heels.

"Go where? You can't leave, not yet." Nick urged as he chased off after her.

"I've got to go back to England, to make sure she got away and she's okay."

"Riley stop!" Nick shouted as he lunged for Riley, grabbing hold of her wrist to make sure she didn't climb any higher on the staircase. Riley simply looked down to where his warm hand had curled around her wrist before turning slightly to look at him; her expression voided off all emotion but as Nick gazed deeper into her eyes he could see the agonizing grief that was starting to overwhelm her. "If you go back home now those things will kill you. Without the protection from our pack you're chances of survival are slim. I won't let you go to you're death."

"I have to do something; I can't just sit back and let her die."

"Nick's right." Jeremy interrupted as he and the rest of the pack followed him into the foyer. "If you leave now we won't be able to help you. We have to protect ourselves and our territory, everything else doesn't matter." Jeremy finished coolly, unaware of Nick's faltering expression as he understood how Riley would react to this callous statement; after all, Riley had been growing into a stronger and confident woman since this whole fiasco started.

"Doesn't matter?" Riley snapped, "She's my best friend, I'm not about to sit back and let her die!"

"For all we know she's already dead." Jeremy voiced which simply left Riley staring at her alpha as the fury began to boil within her. "By the time you get to the airport, pluck up enough courage to actually board the plane and then get back to London, you're talking ten twelve hours at the most. What use do you think you would be then?"

"I could at least figure out what happened to her and give her family some peace of mind." Riley stated "I know what its like to live in a world of doubt and what if's. I won't let Ryan believe that his sister just abandoned him."

"And potentially tell him about what we are. You know that I can't let you do that. We can't help her."

"Because she isn't pack?" Riley fumed

"Because she human." Jeremy retorted, his expression dark and hard and he warned Riley not to defy his orders. "This is my command Delta, do not disobey me." Jeremy finished, pulling rank before he walked away and deeper into the house. Each member of her Pack started to move away at the point, feeling more than a little awkward regarding the heated argument they had witnessed. Usually Riley was the one to walk away, embarrassed from witnessing a confrontation between Elena, Clayton or their alpha. Instead, she was the one in the doghouse. Nevertheless, it was Nick who stayed with her. Still standing above her even though he was standing two or three steps below her. Sometimes Riley really noticed their obvious height difference.

"I don't want you're pity Nick." Riley said, an edge of bitterness and anger laced in her tone as she once again turned away to retreat to her bedroom.

"You don't have it." Was his speedy reply as he refused to let go of her wrist. "You know Jeremy is right, right? We need you here more than ever so running on this foolish renegade task could destroy both you and our pack."

"You think this is some foolish notion on my part?" Riley balked; hurt flashing across her features as his remark. Nick was inwardly screaming at his stupidity and his bluntness; of course she would react this way. She was hurting and when Riley was hurting, especially emotionally she lashed out. Nick sometimes joked that Riley was unable to deal with her emotions; right now she was proving this statement correct. "Sophie is my friend; heck she's my only friend and I need her when I'm trying to fit in in my human life. She makes me feel almost normal." Riley finished as she looked to her feet.

"I know how much she means to you. I see it and hear it when you talk about her. But help us stop this thing and in the end you will have you're revenge." Nick voiced gently as he rested his large hand to her cheek, his heart fluttering when she lifted her own hands, one covering the hand he had on her cheek and the other resting on his wrist. She lifted her watered grey eyes towards him and he could not stop the gentle comforting smile washing to his lips as she gave in, knowing that he was right. She couldn't do anything while she was here in the States, and right now her pack took precedence. "You never know, she may have gotten away. From what you've told me she's a resourceful kinda gal." Nick mused, trying to lighten the conversation and get Riley to smile. It worked.

0-0-0

One drawback to being a Doctor for most of your life is that you can very rarely shut off the scientific mind in which you had nurtured while studying. Unfortunately, Riley was one of those Doctors. For years she had wished she could just stop thinking about hematology, epidemiology, immunology and pathology for just a few hours so she could relax and have a few quite moments to herself. For once she hoped to enjoy looking out of the window and observe the melting snow and greening surroundings without thinking about what was happening within Clayton's blood, or how certain diseases maybe overwhelming certain patients back home and in her care. Then again, Riley really shouldn't complain considering there were others out there that could never have a moment of peace. She wasn't someone living in the limelight, having to parade around on a stage with six-inch heels on and smiling until her jaw ached; some poor slobs actually did that as a career and just thinking about it made her heart shudder with trepidation.

Nevertheless, the reason she was studying her medical journal in the first place was try and distract her mind; Jeremy had pulled rank, Sophie was in a potentially dangerous situation and Riley was powerless to stop it. For all she knew Sophie could be gravely injured and Jeremy was refusing her to let her head back home to try and save her. On top of this Karl was still looking at her with some weird affectionate wanting look that was creeping her out and Clayton was still grumbling when it came to dressing his wounds. She was just thankful that each of them had allowed her some time to herself because she feared she would be terrible company considering she was still angry, upset and worried.

However, the young Doctor was unsure how to react to all the different emotions that were swarming her body considering she was usually so regal and composed when it came to reacting to them; to say this situation was making her loose her composure was an understatement, emotional outbursts and to her surprise her confidence was growing. The werewolf simply looked down at the medical garb and diagrams of blood samples that were shining up at her from the journal but unfortunately none of it was making sense. Her mind kept drifting to what Sophie said. What was coming after her? What was she not ready for? And why the hell did Sophie know this kinda stuff considering Riley had made sure that the 'supernatural' part of her life remained hidden. All of these questions were being left unanswered considering the young Doctor kept trying to reach her friend and inwardly cried out in anguish when she reached Sophie's voicemail service.

The buzz of the house was drowning out her thoughts when she heard the humming of the hoover or the booming laugh of Antonio and Elena as they washed up the dishes that couldn't fit in the dishwasher. She caught a whiff of paint and painting oils and shuddered to imagine what kind of dark paintings Jeremy must be dabbling in considering his mood that last few days. From what she'd seen after a quick peek into his studio was a painting she doubted would make the thousands like most of his other pieces; hell she knew it would never even line that walls of the immaculate house considering Jeremy was very uptight in regards to what came in to his home.

Riley just let out the air she was unconsciously holding and heaved herself to her feet in frustration, agitated by her lack of focus and moved over towards the window, running her hand though her thick side fringe in the process as she tried to center her thoughts. But, as she gazed down towards the front yard, she could see Clayton and Nick removing something from the Explorer, loose t-shirts and jogging bottoms clothing their bodies which again spiked Riley's curiosity. Nick never wore that sort of clothing unless he was about to go for either a human or wolfish run or if he was to train with Clayton. It seems the pair of them were also eager to forget the events of the last few days.

0-0-0

The smell, dampness and feeling of the grass were becoming all too familiar to Nick seeing as Clayton had just rugby tackled him to the ground… again. Most of the time when they wrestled like this it was playful tussling between them, but today, Clayton was going full on and Nick was getting the brunt of it. A few days ago Nick had asked whether he and Clayton could spar together, to try and keep in shape, but now as Clayton unleashed his beta skills Nick was starting to regret the idea. Nicky also came to understand that Clay's pride had been seriously wounded after being attacked by the creature and because of his friends nature he knew that Clay would train himself into exhaustion to make sure it never happened again. Especially considering he was the first line of defense in protecting his alpha and his mate.

"Are you sure you really want to be doing this?" Clayton asked when Nick's head finally stopped spinning after its last connection with the drying grass of Stonehaven's back garden. Nick simply lifted his eyes towards his old friend as Clayton held out his hand; Nick just grasped hold of Clays warm palm and allowed himself to be helped to his feet.

"Riley's in trouble." Nick started as he tugged at the hem of his black shirt so it was covering the waistband of his trousers "Something's coming after her and I want to be able to protect her." Nick finished with sincerity as he stood in front of his friend who was intently studying his expression. It was no secret that Clay disliked Riley, but he would never turn his back on her.

"God knows she's gunna need it." Clayton uttered sarcastically as he ran a hand through his thick curls as he rotated his injured arm that was well on its way to being completely healed; thank god for werewolf healing. "But do you really want to be getting mixed up in all of this? To be so personally involved?"

"I'm already involved." Nick sighed, "However much I hate that fact there is nothing I can do about that now."

"But do you think you could do it? You're good at this stuff Nick, but I fear not good enough." Clay voiced, his deep concern regarding his oldest and possibly only friend was evident in his voice and his expression as he took a step towards him. Had anyone else said that to him he would have taken offense but with Clay the pair of them were always completely and totally honest; even if neither of them wanted to hear the truth.

But as he comprehended Clay's words Nick knew he was right. Nick was never the strongest fighter in the pack; sure he could hold his own in a fight and he was pretty good, but when compared to someone like Clay, his father and even Karl he hit like a teenage girl. Then again he never felt the need to be better. Elena and Riley are pretty good fighters; Elena is strong and well built while Riley is agile and cunning. Next to them he looked clumsy and disorganized as he struggled to fight Elena's strength and Riley's ability to contort herself around her opponent.

That was why he was doing this. Riley was far too important to him and the very idea of loosing her devastated his mind and heart. The animal within him yearned for her and demanded he fight and protect her and the human part of his brain knew that his wolf had located his mate. That was why he needed to be better because Riley was in danger and he was going to do all in his power to keep her safe, even if that meant gaining a few bumps and bruises in the first place.

"Which is why I've asked for your help." Nick said as he dodged a sudden punch flung in his direction. "We both know I'm not good enough." Nick continued, moving left, right and then ducking as he avoided contact with Clayton's mean right hook.

"You're good, just not disciplined." Clay expressed "But you really need to tell her."

"I know." Nick stated, faltering in his statement, as he looked at his older friend with sad eyes "I'm just worried that she won't reciprocate my feelings, that if I've been misreading her behaviour and she only sees us as pack mates it could change everything."

"I can tell you for a fact that she wont." Clay started, surprising Nick considering Clayton very rarely spoke of Riley with such affection. "She looks at you the same way I look at Elena. Could you really let her go not knowing whether she loves you?"

"No. I don't want to hide anymore. I don't want to wake up next to a new woman every week; I don't think that's who I am anymore. I don't want to keep secrets anymore i'm done with hiding who I really am and I just want someone I can talk to about everything. Riley isn't just the only one available to me, but she understands me, she accepts me. Hell she knows me better than even you, which is something I've never had with a woman before."

"Who would've thought that Nicholas, the Lothario of the pack has fallen for the Doctor." Clay [expressed before jumping Nick who in return landed a punch to his shoulder, causing the beta wolf to stumble before he advanced on his companion, Nick slapping away Clay's fists and curled his hand around his wrist and flung him in the opposite direction. Clayton simply moved into a forward roll before the pair advanced on the other, Nick trying to shove as much power into his stomach punch as possible, but as usual Clay reacted far to quickly and shoved his hand away and sent Nick stumbling.

Again Clay rounded on his old friend, sending punch after punch that Nick deflected by using his elbows before twisting his hands so he was able to shove Nick off him and towards the wall. The young delta wolf simply moved into his throw, timing his jump and bounced from the side of the house and back into the fray. He ran at his friend, his only intention of trying to keep himself protected and land a couple of decent punches because Nick knew he had no chance in stopping a wolf as well built and as experienced as Clayton…. Not unless he had a serious distract; most of the time that never even stopped him considering he would be surprised for a whole two seconds before he regained his composure.

Clay shot another round of punches, making easy work at rendering Nick open to another attack and Nick was momentarily distracted by the idea of just giving up, to throw away this foolish notion and let fate takes its course, but when Clayton lunged towards him, Nick simply replied with a simple sidekick to his stomach, doubling him over before following up with a quick rising uppercut.

His old friend momentarily winced and lashed out to make sure Nick never got the upper hand; however, this inexperienced attack knocked Nick from his balanced position and back to the wall of the house. Nevertheless, he was not about to let this opportunity pass him by and using his environment to his advantage he curled his body in on itself and back flipped onto the wall and pushed off towards his 'opponent'. The werewolf used his momentum in a creative way and jerked to the right and swung around Clay. Just as he reached his friend who was preparing to hit him Nick curled his legs into his body and dropped to the ground, changing the direction of his fall, putting the weight into his jump and into a powerful throw.

Surprisingly Clay was violently thrown off his feet and propelled across the grass. Nick himself had to look on at the situation with a look of disbelief as Clay slowly heaved himself back to his feet with a small laugh tumbling from his lips; a look of pure elation and exhilaration crossing his features considering Nick had just bested him for the first time in years and he had seriously been listening to Clay and his advice concerning his safety and the difficult task in keeping Riley safe.

"I didn't see that coming!" Clay chuckled as he strolled over to his friend who was adjusting his shirt. "Just watch your left flank, you leave that open." Nick simply nodded and laughed when Clay brought him into a hefty boisterous headlock that had the pair of them laughing.

But Nick was pulled from his tussling when he felt Clay's hands resting on his shoulder. The chilly wind was bellowing around them as the frosty air chilled their somewhat sweaty skin, but bringing a scent the pair of them were far to familiar with. Clay pointed a frantic look towards his companion, his ice blue eyes shining with concern as he understood the look of fear that he received from Nick.

"Jeremy! Elena! Get out here now!" Clayton roared, his form stomping towards the edge of the trees as his anger and fury overwhelmed him. Someone had invaded his territory and threatened the safety of his pack and he was sure as hell going to find out who.

"Clay?" Jeremy asked, his voice smooth and emotionless as usual.

"Smell the air. Its been here." Was all he said as he turned around to look at every face of his pack. "The creature has been here, and I think it's left us a message."


	22. Chapter Twenty One

The measly beams of light were barely able to penetrate the large canopy of trees that overwhelmed her figure and the sprinting forms of her pack. Powdered snow was falling from its temporary perch against the bare thick branches of Stonehaven's forests while the shadowy silhouettes of the looming trees reached to grab Riley and her friends with emaciated and grotesque arms. Blades of grass, all withered and small, were protruding from the dense layer of snow that covered the ground through the winter months while tracks left by deer dominated the undergrowth as they weaved and navigated the forest.

But Riley herself was bolting through the trees, ignoring the bramble and ferns that snatched at her ankles as they hindered her tracking like ghouls reaching out for the living. She could hear the gushing of the river, the bank struggling to hold the water as the melting snow trickled to join the waters of the river that was interwoven into Stonehaven's grounds. She twisted and turned, propelling herself onwards as she forced her body away from tree trunks while stumbling over uneven ground.

She had little more than memory and her weak sense of smell to guide her for she had roamed these woodlands for the majority of her adult life. She hunted and fed on the wildlife, right up to the west of the forest and the eastern boarders that neighbored the outskirts of Bear Valley and the edge of their territory.

Cresting the hill, her pack broke free of a dense patch of needle leaves and rolled freely down the embankment, a natural landslide that served their purpose more effectively now that the ground was covered with a thin layer of ice. Riley shoved her body to the ground, her clothes catching on protruding roots and twigs as she used her hand to steer her in the right direction. Unknowingly it helped to speed her pursuit, taking a quick look to her side, her senses allowing her to observe her surroundings while avoiding any obstacles. Her pack was running with her and her sensitive silver eyes noticed Jeremy springing over a fallen log while Antonio was spinning away from a small tree.

Compared to a human her vision was incomparable. Everything was sharper and more defined than a human's and possibly even an average wolf; she could see colours a human couldn't and colours that were rich and vibrant making her realize that anyone not a werewolf would have mud-eyed vision. Riley sometimes smiled to herself when she thought back to how Jeremy explained all the perks of 'Werewolfism'. Her eyesight exceeded that of a hawk, seeing everything with microscopic detail as she looked into the invisible spectrum of light and continued on her journey.

Her gaze swept over towards the form of her Alpha, allowing him to take point and guide them past the rocky edge of the river and navigate the twisted pathways of the cliffs that travelled down to the river; her memory making her aware of the peppered trees that littered the ridge as they casted a soft shadow along the white carpet of snow, beckoning her forward to whatever situation she was to face.

She could smell the thousands of trails of moving animals, or distinguish the two different but interwoven scents of a predator stalking its prey. The animal within her stirred, momentarily distracting her as her body grew excited at the possible idea of a hunt; feeling the familiar itching of her neck and limbs as if her wolf was demanding she be let out to find the prey, to listen for its heartbeat and to track its movements. But her prey was several miles away, the good breeze and cold temperatures meant hearing the fluttering wings and heartbeats of small birds startled by her packs haste were far to easy to hear.

Riley was running like the tall-horned stag, waving his white tail in a gesture of alarm, barking as it alerted his herd as he went. Her breath mirrored his; heavy and sporadic while an even cadence that mingled fluently with the nightly chorus sung by various woodlands beasts.

The young werewolf could sense the thick canopy that hung overhead and she was acutely aware that her footsteps were becoming muffled as her path was littered with pine needles and snow; it seemed the ground was no longer as white as other areas of the forest. The trees were much thicker in this area of their territory and it was also an area they rarely ventured into but Riley could see her pack slowing and she too matched their speed. It was only when Antonio sniffed the air did her heart plummet into her chest.

Sophie was here.

And her pack was blocking her view.

Riley simply forced her body around Karl's large form, her expression emotionless as she looked at the uprooted dead tree trunk and the unmistakable form of a body lying on it's front. Riley took a few more unwanted steps forward and almost blanched as the overwhelming aroma of rancid metal and decay engulfed her; but the Doctor continued, acclimatizing to the sudden onslaught of smell as she glanced over her shoulder towards Nick and Elena whose expressions mirrored her own. Pain, fear, worry and despair.

At first, as Riley headed closer to the fallen tree, her feet crunching the untouched snow, she was barely able to comprehend the enormity of the situation. There was a human body on their ground, the FBI were literally on their doorstep and for some reason Sophie's natural scent was embedded into the trees, the ground, she could even taste it on the air. But her mind was refusing to accept that she was the woman lying in the cold snow, all manner of reason had escaped her as she continued on her journey, her body yearning to be proven wrong and this woman was just meant to scare her.

However, as the beams of sunlight shone through the canopy of trees it allowed Riley to recognize the figure that was lying on the wooded floor and the blood coursing through her veins froze with heart wrenching sorrow. She bolted, ignoring the cries from her pack as the werewolf clamored to the side of her best friend, ignoring how her blood was covering her clothing as the snow failed to carry the substance away. Riley frantically searched for a pulse, her hands shaking with emotion as her clouded mind struggled to even consider basic first aid as she dealt with Sophie. Her eyes investigating her body until she took in the three massive cuts that dissected her back.

She didn't know what to think. Dealing with the body of an enemy came with being part of the pack as burying or burning the bodies of the offending mutts was more of a duty than a life choice; but the prospect of removing the body of a close ally was something Riley could never even consider. For all she knew Sophie had been coming to Bear Valley because Riley had failed to answer her message, or she had panicked once she had heard the news about the mass grave and rushed to America to see if she could help both her friend and the officers; she was a Doctor after all. Riley knew that not to be the case. She was a devastating message, a message that was destroying her and a message that made this situation all too real.

But Riley made a fatal mistake, her eyes transected the bloody features of the woman below her and as she looked into the lifeless hazel eyes of the woman that was once her friend, Riley finally realized that she was gone. She would never see Sophie's eyes twinkling with mischief as she mocked and teased her regarding her somewhat nonexistent romantic relationship with Nicky, she would never hear her laugh or see her smile and she would never hear her utter the comforting words she always seemed to find when Riley's life was unlivable. The council and comfort she once sort and found in her friend was never to be replaced and with dark realization Riley knew her human life was over. She had nothing tying her to England or humans, she had no reason to go back and that scared her half to death because now she needed to face the harsh reality that the only life possible for her now was a werewolf one; and that meant facing her past, her emotions and her uncertain future.

The young werewolf felt someone ducking behind her and placed a comforting hand to the back of her shoulder. She didn't flinch and she didn't even look at them; her eyes were focused on the unseeing eyes of her friend. But Nick moved to her side to try and get a better look at her face. The turmoil that was twinkling within her eyes made his heart shatter as he gently moved her obstructive fringe from her features before resting his large warm hand to her cheek as he tried to get her too look at him. She briefly moved her eyes towards him before she slowly moved her eyes back down towards the woman.

"Is this Sophie?" Nick asked gently as he sat himself down next to Riley, his hand resting behind the young Doctor as it held up his figure while his torso seemed to curl around her. His voice was gentle and consoling as he witnessed the normally strong, tenacious but anxious woman freeze with grief as she continued to struggle with this emotion on her own. From one look given to him by Riley he already knew the answer to his question.

"We need to call the Sherriff." Jeremy stated, his cool voice slicing the heavy silence of emotion as each pack member baring Riley turned to look at him.

"I don't think that is a good idea Jer." Clay interrupted, his cold eyes shining with icy composure as his animalistic side outweighed the best way in protecting his Alpha and his bonded mate. "Before long the FBI will be traipsing around our property and asking more uncomfortable questions regarding our involvement."

"So you want us to bury her and pretend none of this happened?" Nick balked, bewildered by his friend's callous way of dealing with a situation that affected one of there own so badly. "This is Riley's friend, how do you think this could be affecting her?"

"A lot more if the FBI find out we're involved." Clay retorted irritably.

"Enough, Peterson needs to be informed otherwise we'll be in more trouble if we try to cover this up." Jeremy interrupted, pulling the two men from their debate and reaching for his mobile.

"Cover what up?" The familiar voice of the Sherriff sounded, his balding and overweight form coming into view as he trampled through the undergrowth. Nick fluttered his gaze away from Clay and towards the officer; not failing to notice his flushed cheeks as if the walk here had been strenuous. Not surprising considering Nick knew you didn't need to have werewolf eyesight to see the buttons straining over his ever growing stomach considering his diet probably consisted of donuts and beer.

"We've found another victim." Jeremy explained, as he remained standing, his pack remaining cold but alert as they tried to wiggle their way out of a possible interrogation.

"And you all just happened to be taking a walk all the way out here." The snide deputy voiced as his suspecting eyes washed over the seated form of Nick who was still trying to comfort an almost catatonic Riley who had yet to say anything and had refused to look away from Sophie.

"It's my property." Jeremy said before a frown overwhelmed his features "Why, is it a crime to enjoy a walk with close family and friends?"

"No, but it's a little suspicious to be walking deep in the woods, on a freezing cold day with no warm clothing." Peterson interjected as he looped his fingers on his trousers.

"To then stumble onto a body." His deputy continued, "And a body of someone one of you're guests knows."

"How'd you know we knew her?" Nick questioned, shifting his weight as he came to stand at his full height, his eyes momentarily fluttering down to Riley whose features had lost all colour; she looked like a zombie, unfeeling and unmoving and Nick's heart was breaking as he observed her suffering.

"We had an anonymous tip."

"Of course you did." Karl mumbled as he shuffled on his feet.

"Besides, a blind person would be able to see how this is affecting your 'friend'." The deputy replied, emphasis placed on the word friend as if he was still struggling to believe that Riley and Nick's relationship was anything but platonic; it seemed he still suspected Nicky and as Clay and Elena came to stand at his side he realised that his pack were also beginning to come to that conclusion.

"She found the body, how else do you think she should act?" Antonio lied; defending Riley while Jeremy's usually composed expression had a darkness creeping into the corners of his eyes.

"She's a Doctor, she's used to seeing dead bodies. She should've been more professional and not have contaminated the crime scene."

"This was her friend!" Nick exclaimed, his voice rising in volume as he took a step towards the officer "She tried to help her!"

"Well she failed." The deputy retorted, eyes hard as he smirked at Nick who was struggling to control his anger; the cool temperature of the winter air was un-affecting to the young werewolf whose rage was steadily overwhelming him. He was not aware of the rain that was beginning to clatter onto the canopy of the trees above him.

"Randall." Peterson warned as he placed his hand to his colleagues shoulder, a concerned and apologetic look passed towards Jeremy concerning his officer's lack of propriety. "Right now we need to do what is best for the victim and her family. Crime techs need to be here to try and preserve the scene."

"She needs to come in for questioning, there is no deny her involvement now, not after this."

"She's not going anywhere." Nick replied, his eyes hard and dangerous as he stood in front of Riley's frozen form, venom dripping from his words as he gained the support and confidence considering his Pack was standing at his side; obviously feeling the same way he did.

"You're just going to let her go?" Randall expressed, bewilderment evident within his features and his tone as the surprise and pure frustration started to get a hold over him.

"For the moment yes." Peterson started "Look at her, she's in shock. She's no good to anyone in this state. Give her a few hours and she'll come around."

"That's not protocol! We should be taking statements from each and every one of them! Are you going to let them get away with this again?"

"We have no evidence to make that sort of claim." Peterson warned, his hand moving to Randall's chest as he struggled to prevent his underling from pouncing on Riley and Nick.

"Sherriff, may I suggest we take this conversation back to the house to allow your technicians to adequately gather the evidence you may need. We only want what is right for Sophie." Jeremy interrupted, hoping that this may aid in calming the deputy; unfortunately it did the complete opposite.

"What so you can converse with you're friends to get your stories straight? I don't think so. I'm taking them in, both of them" Randall snapped, forcing his way past his superior and towards Nicky who simply stood his ground and blocked any path towards Riley.

"Get away from her." Nick confronted; his voice was dark while his expression lost any sort of normality. As his companions looked at him now they could see nothing of the easy going, care free joking man they had come to expect of Nicky. Now he was showing a man of strong passion as he tried to protect and stand up for the woman he cared for. To say Jeremy and Clay were impressed was an understatement.

"Are you infringing a police investigation now?" The deputy snarled, stopping directly in front of Nick as he confronted him, falling at least a few inches smaller than the werewolf. Nick could only look down at him as he tried to take a confident step towards him to try and increase his distance from Riley.

"I'm trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret later. We have no qualm with you, we've done nothing wrong."

"There's a girl lying dead on the ground you son of a bitch!" The deputy resounded before unexpectedly throwing a punch at Nick. The graphic designer simply ducked away from him, his instincts obviously on alert considering he was facing an enemy and he had been practicing with Clayton not so long ago. However, before Randall was able to recover his balance Nick literally flung his arms around the middle and forced the pair of them to the ground. Nick let out a small grunt when he felt the officer's knee move into his stomach but the werewolf simply rolled the pair of them down the small hill to try and get him away from Riley once again.

A strong punch was powered into Nick's cheek that caused him to loose his balance as Randall effectively defended himself and to render Nick defenseless. The officer got to his feet and curled his hands around Nick's t-shirt before flinging him further down the hill. The werewolf was consciously aware of how his Pack was trying to stop the fight while Peterson was calling for his colleague to see reason. Again, another punch was placed onto his cheek but this time it was different; he felt blood trickling from his cheekbone as the deputy's fist drew blood and before he was even able to retaliate a small form intersected the pair of them.

A set of emotionless cool grey eyes were shining up at him as Riley forced her small form between the pair of them. She said nothing, instead she rested the palm of her hand to the contours of his chest and pushed back, feeling his chest heaving as Riley urged him to calm down. Nick just looked down at her, her features still gaunt with grief but life was slowly moving back into her eyes. He glanced over her shoulder and towards the Deputy, Nick spitting the blood from his mouth as he felt the fresh tickle of blood moving down his cheek.

Riley once again pushed back on Nick's chest and this time made him take a step back before she placed her hands to his shoulders to turn him back towards his pack who had started to walk back to the house after instructions from the Sherriff.

"Way to go hero." Randall muttered before the Sherriff forced him away from the group and the body to make sure he called the crime scene officials.

0-0-0

She wanted to run. To throw open the door and run; to not rest until the police were gone and stopped repeating pathetic useless questions to try and make her into a suspect. But she wanted Sophie's killer caught, so sitting through a seemingly pointless interrogation and deterring the police from seeing a murderer in Stonehaven was a necessity. That still didn't deter the idea of running; she wanted to run until her legs ached and her lungs burned and to not stop but the young Doctor was unable to spare a moments energy dealing with what had happened in the last few hours.

So that was why Riley had sat and answered questions for the last two hours. She knew she had to stay and made sure the authorities understood what had conspired and if they suspected her, she sure as hell could handle it. But when they continued to delve deeper into the story, reciting the flaws, Riley knew it was going to be a lot harder to keep her werewolf status a secret, making their violation somehow more personal. She also wasn't surprised when they inquired about her and Nick's relationship and their history; apparently the deputy suspected that either Nick killed all those woman to get her attention or the pair of them had collaborated together to enact the murders themselves. It was those questions that had made her want to run, but it was only her ability to remain calm and Jeremy's demonstration of emotional control and propriety that had kept her in the room. Unfortunately it also gave her a few moments to think.

Riley didn't want to let Sophie down; if she bolted and allowed the Police to continue their investigation with only half the story and a handful of misinterpreted leads she knew she would have dishonored Sophie's memory; even if she had every intention of finding the creature who had done this too her in the first place. In life, if Riley ran she knew that Sophie wouldn't be angry, she would've understood. And that's what bothered her. Riley didn't want her to understand why she'd screwed up, Riley wanted Sophie to be proud of her, in life and death; to have the strength and courage that Sophie had always displayed to her. The Doctor knew that she was too old to seek approval from a younger woman, especially now that Sophie had been murdered, but deep down Riley knew that if she didn't conduct herself properly it would only backfire in maintaining her position in the pack; even if she was in two minds whether she wanted to stay or not.

So she had sat through the questions. She endured the conflicting and troubling questions of the Sherriff and his angry Deputy, unconsciously eavesdropping on the other officer's enquiries as they spoke with her Pack. But as she stood in the downstairs bathroom, preparing her medical supplies to clean Nick's cheek she spent even more time thinking about why Sophie was in the States. The thought of Sophie suffering at the hands of this supernatural creature was distressing enough as it was but she was finding it difficult to believe that the creature had somehow figured out that Sophie was someone important to her. She knew without a doubt that Sophie's death was a message to her; either detailing to her that something was indeed coming after her, or that she should stop hunting them all together. Did this mean that they would finish what they started all those years ago and she too would suffer the same fate as Sophie?

These dark thoughts were spiraling around her mind and it was only when she felt Nick's hand curling around the back of her shoulder did she shove her eyes to look towards her closest friend and away from the dark thoughts plaguing her mind. Again, she directed him to the edge of the sink so she was able to get a better view at his scuffle wounds. Luckily the bathroom was tiled with pristine white tiles and the lighting was bright.

"You do realize you probably shouldn't have provoked him." Riley voiced as she reached for a gauze pad, rinsed it with water and came to stand in front of Nick who was studying her movements. A very gentle smile washed to his lips as she came to stand directly in front of him, her eyes taking in the bruise that was evident on his cheek.

"I think you will find my dear Riley, that it was him who provoked me." Nick said with a smile before wincing when Riley dabbed a little too hard to the cut on his cheek. When he looked down at her he was sure he saw a small smirk etched to the edges of her lips and a small sparkle finally finding its way back into her eyes.

"Well you should have been the bigger man and put him down easily." Riley retorted quickly as she rung out the material, the water stained pink as a few droplets of Nick's blood came free of the gauze.

"Next time I will." Was all Nick said as he allowed Riley to pay closer attention on her work.

"But thank you Nick, for standing up for me." She said to him gently, again dapping at his wound but this time with an antiseptic that was starting to sting as she continued to clean the wound. Nick could only look at her, her face still failing to display any sort of colour as her grief was still to new; her eyes were still voided of emotion and she had yet to smile or even talk to anyone beside him. He realized that Sophie must have been the first person she had to mourn after the deaths of both Logan and Peter five years ago and considering the sheer impact Sophie had on her life he knew that Riley must have been taking this harder than they cared to imagine. She was shutting down and he feared that she wouldn't be back to her usual self for the next couple of days as she tried to get past the tormenting ideals that must have been plaguing her mind as she dealt with his scratched cheek.

"I would protect you any time Riley." Nick replied, pure emotion and utter passion filled his words as he pulled her hand away from his cheek and gently wrapped his long fingers around her small hand. Riley simply searched his eyes, trying to read his expression that usually came so easily for her but before long she was pulling away and clearing away her things.

"You're all done, but keep this on you're cheek. It will help with the swelling." Riley retorted, passed over an ice pack and started to evacuate the bathroom. However Nick simply reached out for her, curling his large hand around her petite wrist and made her stop. The young Doctor simply looked down to her wrist and then back up towards him.

"I'm serious Riley." Nick implored, his hands coming up around her shoulders as he turned her around so she was standing directly in front of him, her small form almost pressed against him as he tried to get his emotions across. "Any place, any time and any where, if you need me I will be there."

Riley's heart was pounding in her chest as she took in the sincerity that was shining in Nick's dark eyes, but it wasn't the seriousness that had her heart and mind screaming it was the underlying emotion that had her scrambling for some sort of hold on reality. Her best friend had just died and suddenly Nick was saying words that should have had her running to his arms, instead they made her want to run away screaming. She wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready to face her feelings and she sure as hell knew that she wanted to talk to Sophie which was now impossible. The Doctor knew that she loved the man who was holding her; hell Sophie and Elena had demanded she tell him but with her low self-esteem and her unwillingness for things to change she was still shrieking back from her emotions.

That was why she pulled away from him, muttering something about needing some air and she bolted. She had never experienced being in love. She had the odd fling and one time she thought she was pretty close but the pure unselfish need to make sure Nick was looked after, that he was safe and happy and the complete desire to be able to be the one to make him happy was nothing she had ever experienced before.

Was what she was feeling love? He sent her flowers and paid for dinner when they were out but he had never written poetry or said anything she would class as romantic; none of the things he would normally do to woo a woman. So surely it must have been something else. Was being in love being able to finish someone's jokes, to know how they were feeling or to have complete trust in someone to have your back in a fight or to be there when you need a hand to hold? Did love mean that you know someone so well that you automatically understand why someone does the things they do and share the same perverse faith in the universe? Because if that was true, she realised her and Nick were already half way there and it was that realization that made her terrified.


	23. Chapter Twenty Two

_Sir Percival was beginning to worry; when Barametheor, his betrothed's Essitir rabbit came running from the mountain he feared the worst. The animal's flanks were littered with grazes while his deep chestnut fur was matted with blood, both of his own and the creatures in whom he had attacked. It was his incessant nudging and frantic ankle biting that had caused his heart to plummet within his chest that caused Percival to grab his hooded coat and had a collar lined with mink fur, as he prepared to face the traitorous mountain pass. _

_As he and his men had continued through the rocky walls, the knight could see the sun moving across the sky, his body tiring as they continued to search for his lover. However, as the sun began to set on their second day he felt his horse suddenly slipping and sliding against the icy floor as the mountain became almost uninhabitable. How had Ayleth navigated her route? How had she managed to walk this far on her weak knee? And how in maker's name had she managed to get her platoon of Knights up to the top of the mountain? _

_But it was when Percival turned his attention towards Sir Galahad did he see the seriousness of their situation. The young knight's cheeks were stained pink as the biting temperature and blizzard snow attacked at their figures, his breath visibly shining in the moonlight as he barked orders to their company to keep fires going as they tried to defend themselves against the cold. He wondered if this was how Galahad felt when hiding out from Faucons men by the ridge of Alscetic, he had after all struggled with similar conditions once before. _

_But Percival had the heart wrenching decision as to whether he kept going on foot or turn back to return with the mountain equipment Merlin was eager to test; but then that would only cause more problems for his men. He knew the latter was not a possibility for Ayleth did not have that much time and her father would execute him on the spot. He could only speculate on her health for had she the strength she would have been down the mountain days ago demanding they retreat and rethink their strategy; never once stopping to give herself the time to recuperate and heal from her wounds. She was as stubborn as her mother in that respect. _

_So something must have seriously wounded her. They had heard of the stories coming from Isgard, of how a darkness was overwhelming the towns and the mountains. It seemed something was growing in power within the cliffs and Ayleth had been ordered by the Knights of the Round Table to check out the situation. It seemed that despite her personal connections to the King and her intriguing ways of facing politics and battle strategies she left many of the knights wary of her for her assertiveness. Unfortunately it was this trait that would make her a very unpredictable queen but a wise one nonetheless. But Percival knew that she was dreading the day she was queen for she feared that her life would take a drastic turn and she would not be as free to do the things she did now and she sure as hell wouldn't be able to move around as freely as she was able considering she would be queen and trying to rid their home from an unforeseen threat. _

_Nevertheless, these dark creatures were threating Camelot and Avalon. Hundreds of reports were streaming into court whether to Camelot or to other districts of travellers ambushed by winged figures, or darkness completely engulfing small unmapped towns as beasts swept through villages and killed whoever and whatever they could. Ayleth had dreamt of this oncoming darkness for she had said that if felt very similar to the curse that swum through her veins; Percival could not help but see the fear that twinkled behind her impassive expression as she said something was coming. It was the same fear that he had seen within his King's features when King Arthur had called a meeting to discuss this coming threat. _

_But nothing compared to the fear he felt now as he searched for her. _

_He was forcing his way through the snowy cliff tops with Sir Galahad, each of them abandoning their mounts and the rest of their troops as they continued up the steep incline of the mountain. Barametheor had his nose continuously to the snow in hopes of finding his masters trail but when he grunted and stomped his hocks Percival realised that the reliable rabbit was coming up empty. Percival was struggling to keep his emotions in check as he ran his fingers through his thick mob of brown hair, feeling the snowflakes tumbling from his longish locks as he continued to scan the mountain range for any sign of Ayleth. _

"_My lord, how much longer do you think we should search?" Galahad asked, adjusting the hold he had on the hilt of his sword as he pulled his scarf much closer to the base of his neck, his green eyes shining with worrying concern as the pair of them came to a brief stop to try and regain their bearings and rekindle the flames of their burning brands. "The terrain is becoming perilous and we have not identified any ruins of the ancient Cathedral." _

"_We cannot be sure whether Ayleth headed to the temple of our faith." Percival voiced, his leather overcoat flapping against his knees in the snowy wind as his body began to cool "But it is a good starting point." _

"_It has been two days, if she is still alive she will need healing magic. Our healing remedies will do very little in aiding her healing." Galahad countered, "I do not want to sound pessimistic but how can my lady survive these conditions?" _

"_She has lived through much and survived worse Galahad, both physically and emotionally. She'll find a way to survive." Percival said before he flung his head towards Barametheor who slammed his hock violently to the ground before bounding away, the snow flinging away from his paws as he took off with such speed Percival and Galahad were unable to keep him in sights for long. "Barametheor!" Percival screamed, running after the rabbit as quickly as he could, the snow was up to the middle of his shins. "What is it boy?" He bellowed once again as he rounded the large mountainside. _

_What he saw made his heart drop within his chest. Ayleth was lying on her front, a small layer of snow lying on her back as if she hadn't moved for hours; a small halo of red snow was overwhelming her form as he simply lay there unmoving. Percival ran to her, collapsing at her left side as he reached for her shoulder with shaking hands. The air he was unconsciously holding whooshed from his lungs when he noticed the familiar rising and falling of her chest before he tried to rouse her from her sleeping. _

"_Ayleth?" Percival said as he tried sitting Ayleth's frail form into a seated position, the young Knight noticing the fluttering of her eyes. It was only then that Percival realized what had happened to her. The full front of Ayleth's royal's armour was bloodied and mutilated. Wet and clotted blood absorbed nearly every square inch of her tattered armour. In between the rips of fabric, Percival could see the openings of flesh. Three large gashes ran from the side to just above the navel while fresh blood seeped into the wounds. Percival noticed that the peculiar looking cuts were not neat; rather the flesh appeared to have been shredded to ribbons. _

_Having fought against a variety of magical and dark monstrosities, Percival knew something of painful and grotesque injuries. He'd seen it all, from lacerations to amputations, scabs to scars and fractures to sprains. But for him to see it happen to someone so close to him, well, it just wasn't comprehensible. The horrible wounds were proof of the suffrage. He could only imaging what it was like to be badly injured, running through the dark night with nothing but a cloak for warmth, bleeding profusely and desperately trying to keep from falling unconscious, all the while avoiding these dark creatures and navigating the mountain pass. _

_Sir Galahad took a step closer to try and assess Ayleth's injuries, a frown of dismay evident on his features as he shrugged off his pack to try and bind Ayleth's abdomen. Percival simply lifted his hand, careful not to press too hard on the large wound that transected the side of her features, hoping to wake this beautiful woman whose eyes were painfully sliding open and closed. _

"_Are you real?" She whispered and for the first time, she noticed just how much Percival had changed over the years she had known him. He had only grown in beauty. His majestic cheekbones had become more refined as the curves of his face moved to form his imperial nose. The scar that littered his cheek was a new addition to his skin but made him ruggedly more attractive. _

"_I'm real, I'm right here my dove." Percival implored, trying to wipe the blood away from Ayleth's cheek._

"_You wouldn't have called me that if you weren't." Ayleth expressed with a weak smile, unknowingly heaving herself into a seated position as Percival held onto the top of her arm and the back of her shoulder to keep her from swaying, providing Ayleth with the comfort and support she needed when she collapsed her forehead to his shoulder. She spoke in deep hard breaths, disoriented and sick while her face had gone a shade paler. Although the throbbing pain from her head injury pounded, she still managed a weak smile as she felt Barametheor nudging against her. "Protect this with your life." She whispered as her trembling hand stuck out of the opening in the front of her cloak and presented her betrothed with the small leather pouch that had been strapped to her wrist. "It has the potential to save all of Avalon." She managed to say before she collapsed further into her lover's arms. _

"_Stay with me my dear Ayleth." Percival urged before he placed his hands under Ayleth's knees and around her shoulders as he cradled her body close to his chest and bolted his way back down the mountain. _

_0-0-0_

_Her healing was a difficult one. The healer's words echoed around Arthur's mind as he stood by the long rectangular window that looked down onto the courtyard of Camelot Castle. The King had his daughter back in the comfort and safety of his home, but nothing could shield him from all the worries and pressure that had beset upon him since Percival returned with Ayleth who was frightfully injured. Percival had been extremely exhausted from the strenuous and hurried journey from the mountains and back to Camelot, but he hadn't found sleep. All sorts of dark thoughts had been fluttering through his mind as his heart worried for Ayleth, the same thoughts that plagued the best of his knights. Besides, however much Ayleth loved the armchair that was angled towards the hearth Arthur feared he would not find comfort within the cushions. _

_Her wounds are beyond my skill to heal for there is darkness within her. The mages gruff voice repeated in his head. From where he stood in the dark, Arthur could see that dawn was starting to break. The sky had begun to brighten and perhaps, if he listened carefully, he could hear the soft chirpings of birds perched somewhere nearby quiet happily welcoming the new day. _

_Ayleth's healing had continued well into the early hours of the morning and still she had not awakened. But waiting for Ayleth to wake up was a feeling far worse compared to every time they went into battle or Ayleth competed in the physical knight tournaments. Right now he hoped Ayleth still had his strength. She has shown it on many occasion, now she needed it more than ever while he struggled to comfort his distraught wide and a man who was completely in love with his daughter whom had refused to take a break unless ordered too. Now he was on his own. _

_As it was this was the second time in less than five years that Ayleth found herself in this sort of predicament and Arthur knew that if she wasn't being hunted by a half crazed lunatic she wouldn't carry the scars she did now. But that was her life now and considering Arthur and his Knights had been able to keep her as protected as possible who was Arthur to complain; after all, he still had his daughter. _

_But, it was the high winds rattling the glass on the windows that pulled him from his thoughts. If he stayed as still as possible he could even hear the wind howling and whistling wildly outside. The King just headed towards the crackling hearth and collapsed into the cushions of the armchair, his eyes fluttering towards the deathly still form of his daughter that was overwhelmed with blankets to try and bring up her core temperature. _

_Anger, grief, helpless and guilt started to fill Arthur as he sat. He had allowed the Camelot mage to call for Merlin considering he had urged his king to ask for the help of a sorcerer who was far familiar with Ayleth and her medical background than he was. Apparently he needed aid in Ayleth's healing, stating that Merlin was far more practised in healing magic. Deep down, Arthur knew that his mage wanted Merlin's help because he was a better mage and he had healed Ayleth multiple times during her life. _

_Arthur just watched the mage tending to his daughter as he prepared a dressing and applied it carefully to the gashes, the King waited for Ayleth to respond to the pain but she did not move. The process was sickening to watch; he was overcome by an extreme sadness which made him realise that his eyes were truly open for the first time. At times Ayleth could be passive and clumsy but she was loyal and always set about doing the right thing disregarding social boundaries or standings; hell if she set her mind to doing something she was going to do it and no one would be able to change her mind. But the smile washed onto his features when he came to realise that Ayleth was a most forgiving person who always stood by her friends regardless, even if they had hurt her. _

_0-0-0_

_She was cold. Her body betraying her as she shivered and trembled underneath the thick duvet and blankets that were covering her figure. Unconsciously she could hear the merry song of a songbird singing outside the window and as she slowly fluttered her eyes open she shrieked away from the differences in light that was struggling to penetrate the thick material of her ocean blue curtains. But her confusion only grew; how did she happen to be in her bedroom at Camelot Castle? Why was she in her bedroom and where the hell was her father or Percival to give her the answers she wanted? _

_Ayleth shifted underneath her blankets with the sole intentions of getting into a more comfortable position. However, she stopped short once a painful stinging sensation seemed to overwhelm her entire form. She faltered in her movements, her mind dizzying as her stomach seemed to churn as she tried to push past the pain that was threatening to overwhelm her. The young woman clung onto her abdomen, her arms pressing onto the bandages as she struggled to comprehend the enormity of her injuries. Every part of her ached, her body screaming out in protest as she collapsed onto the headboard of her bed, hanging at the edge of the mattress as she tried to push past the agony of her body. _

_But the biting chill of her body caused her to tremble; she was freezing and her only method in keeping her warm was to grasp at the blanket and painfully heave them around her shoulders. Just at the same time as her mind focused in on the red rose that was lying on the bottom of the dresser that had been forced open. Emotion engulfed her heart and her eyes threatened to fill with water as she clung onto her weak frame. Why had someone felt the need to go through her personal belongings? Items so private that she rarely disturbed them herself. _

_Nevertheless, Ayleth shook herself from her thought when the door to her bedroom began to move. Her betrothed emerged into the freezing room with her Essitir rabbit excitedly jumping around his feet. The young princess couldn't stop the affectionate smile from washing onto her pale features as Barametheor came bounding towards his master and lovingly placed a couple of wet kisses to the skin he could reach. _

"_I convince myself that it's safe to take Barametheor out for a short walk and you decide to wake up." Percival said with a smile as he came to her side, Ayleth feeling the mattress dipping at his weight as she received all the comfort she wanted when she felt his extremely warm hand pressing to her cheek before he leant over and rested his lips to her clammy forehead. "We were all beginning to worry that you would never wake, is been days my dove." _

"_That was not my intention." Ayleth replied weakly as she painful heaved herself into a more comfortable position, still refusing to relent her hold on her stomach as she grimace in tormenting agony. _

"_Sir Galahad was particularly worried." Percival stated with a smile "He was the one who accompanied me onto the mountain. We were both fearful of losing you Ayleth; you had lost so much blood…" He started to say, his voice trailing off as if his mind was plagued with the images of how she had looked on the mountain side. It was in that moment that she was able to really take him in. His was unshaven with dark purples shining under his eyes as if he had been unable to sleep. His tunic was crinkled with specks of rust colouration; a mark that was all too familiar to the princess considering many of her tunics had to be thrown after too many blood stains adjourned the fabric. However, this time it was her blood that covered her lovers clothing. She had no doubt that he had not taken her unconscious state well. _

"_With rest, I'll be as good as new." Ayleth said with a weak smile as she sort out Percival's hand, unable to read his clouded expression as if he were hiding something from her. The young princess grimaced as she moved too quickly again, waving away Percival's help as she leant against the headboard more comfortably. "What is it that you are not telling me?" _

"_There is nothing." Percival replied far too quickly and with a smile that did not reach his eyes. In all the years she had known him she had become well attuned to his expressions, especially for when he was lying, and right now he was keeping something from her. _

"_Percival, you're eyes do not shine when you utter a lie, now please, tell me." Ayleth urged as she continued to hold on to his hand. _

"_I think it may be wise if you're father or Merlin tells you of what has been going on. For I fear I cannot detail to you the whole story." Percival whispered, as he looked down towards their clasped hands, consciously aware of how clammy her skin felt when she laced her fingers with his own. _

"_I did not think I had been so badly affected." Ayleth uttered sadly as her eyes penetrated Percival's emotional eyes "For I feel very much the same as I did five years ago." _

"_My dear Ayleth this time you were fighting monstrous creatures of darkness instead of the Army of Merrywood." He answered with a weak smile _

"_And a dragon." Ayleth interrupted with a smile "Don't forget the dragon."_

"_Yes my dove, and the dragon." Percival smiled "Besides, I doubt the days of lying in the freezing snow helped your injuries." Percival finished, a smile etched to his lips as he squeezed her hand out of comfort. _

"_Yes, I fear you could be right." Ayleth chuckled, answering Percival's smile with one of her own, clutching onto her side as her laughter caused her stomach to throb. "Don't make me laugh." She giggled, a wince overwhelming her features as her lips continued to smile. _

"_I am sorry my dear." Percival retorted as he swept her blonde hair from her features and curled it around her ear. _

"_Never be sorry for making me laugh." She continued but before Percival could reply a gentle knock echoed around her chambers from the door and the couple moved their attention from their giggle towards the entering forms of Merlin and Arthur, Ayleth's father. _

"_Why Princess, let me be the first person to say how wonderful it is to see you awake after your ordeal." Merlin expressed, his dark hair falling on his forehead as the dark colouration bought out the vibrant ice blue of his eyes. _

"_Which I have no doubt is thanks to you." Ayleth replied gently as she smiled towards the skinny and lanky form of her tutor. _

"_Had Sir Percival bought you back a few days later I fear it may have been too late." Merlin stated, his thin lips moving into a thin line as his high cheekbones and large ears paled at the very thought of losing her._

"_But he didn't, he bought her back in as best shape as he could." The King replied, his far larger form towering over his companion as Arthur clapped his large paw to the sorcerers shoulder before flashing a smile towards his knight before sweeping across the room and towards his daughter. _

"_Father!" Ayleth uttered lovingly, comforted by his presence as the arm that was not curled around her middle reached out for her family and lovingly wrapped her free hand around his shoulders as the King perched to her side, the pair feeling the mattress dipping under his weight as the King pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before leaning back to get a proper look at his daughter who was fluttering her eyes between him, Percival and Merlin. _

"_How are you fairing my dear? " _

"_Like I have fallen on my blade and then dragged by a horse." Ayleth whined as she pulled her arm closer around her middle again in hopes of alleviating the pain somewhat. _

"_Are you still in discomfort? I can draft a healing salve to try and alleviate the pain." Merlin suggested as his expression clouded with worry as he took a cautious step forward, coming to stand at Percival's side who moved his features towards Merlin, his king and then towards her. _

"_I would appreciate that, thank you." Ayleth voiced with a gratified smile._

"_Do you have the strength of a visit from you're mother? She has been nursing you at Merlin's side and will be relieved to see you awake." Her father said and smiled when he watched Ayleth nodding her head with a smile. _

"_Yes please." Ayleth smiled "I'm sure we need to get the 'be more careful' talk again." Ayleth smiled a smile that only grew when she observed the small chuckle falling from her father's lips and the gentle smile resting on Percival and Merlin's lips. "But before then, I believe you have something to discuss with me. For Percival did not have the knowledge too." _

"_Rest a little more my child, then we will talk." _

"_I will not be coddled father! Tell me what is going on?" _

"_And I say you will have none of it, you do not have the strength." _

"_I have strength enough for this." Ayleth defended "There is a darkness swarming across our lands and if we do not do something we will succumb to the power of Faucon's army, and you're quarrelling with me in regards to my health. You and I both know that I care little for what happens to me." _

"_She has a good point." Percival expressed as he pulled the pair of them from their conversation "She will find out otherwise." He finished and inwardly smiled when he watched his king resigning the fact that Ayleth was far too much like her mother, and unfortunately for him stubbornness seemed to be something they shared. _

"_Merlin struggled to heal you Ayleth." Arthur started "For a reason we do not yet understand that though your wounds are healing your strength is still failing. Merlin fears that an unseen dark magic maybe hindering your recovery." _

"_I do not understand." _

"_You have a curse swimming through your veins Princess, a curse I cannot identify." Merlin interrupted, his potions boiling and simmering behind him as the incantations and unique crafting ingredients came together to create a salve she was hoping would attend to her pain. _

"_I am already cursed Merlin." Ayleth uttered "For I doubt others can shift into a beast." _

"_I am aware of your 'condition' Ayleth." Merlin expressed as he shared a knowing side long glance with his king "But with that curse we have gained an incredible backlog of information and are able to address even the minor of complications; but with this new predicament I am unsure as to how I am able to remedy a cure." _

"_So what are you saying?" _

"_I am afraid that if a cure cannot be located and the curse grows stronger you will die. Are only hope is to identify the creature and the cause of this curse or to locate and destroy the source. Only then will your full strength return to you." _

"_We already know who has spoken this curse. Faucon and Morgana are determined to watch Camelot fall and with my death my father's line will end." _

"_Do not speak that way my Ayleth, you cannot give up now." Percival spoke, his features a vision of different emotions as his thoughts and feelings overwhelmed him. _

"_I have no intention of giving up, but I am not about to sit ideally by and watch my life slip away. There is no honour in dying without fighting for what is right and you cannot deny me this wish." _

"_Ayleth, you are one of the strongest fighters in the kingdom, but there may be a time in your coming future when your strength fails, and when it does you will need to rest. You cannot run yourself into the ground, especially now when we are going to need as much time as we can to try and solve this situation." Her father implored "We will of course allow you to act as normal, but you have to promise us that on days when you do not feel yourself, when you feel the darkness overwhelming and calling you that you will allow us to care for you and rest." Arthur finished, a good and decent point made with a tone of voice any father would use to allow their child to know that there was no use in arguing with him for his decision was final. _

"_If that is your only wish, then I will agree to it." _

"_I also have another request." Her father stated, grasping hold of her hand and asking Percival to come and sit next to Ayleth so she could comfortably lean against her chest. "For all we know you could have years to fight this curse but you may only have weeks. So this is my final request. I wish to see the pair of you wed, before you become too weak to go through with the ceremony. With this I hope to see our line secured because even through Percival is from a different family he will be marrying into the Pendragon line. Once you are married you are able to try for an heir." _

"_You really have been thinking this through. You don't think this is all a little hasty?"_

"_I have had a great deal of time to think of this while you were sleeping. But I believe that once you are physically well again we can make the preparations; and your mother is very well apt at organizing a ceremony this important in very little time." Her father said with a smile. _

"_But we will leave you two too discuss this, for a marriage exists between two people, not two people and the bride's father." Merlin warned, handing over a tonic to Ayleth while shooting a pointed look towards the King who held up his hands in surrender before bidding them farewell. "Drink, it will make you feel better." Merlin finished as he cocked his head towards the blue liquid before excusing himself and followed after his king. _

_Ayleth simply gazed towards the tonic in her hand and gave it a quick suspicious sniff before plucking up the courage to down the liquid. She shivered as her mind recognised the bitter after taste but when she heard Percival chuckling and felt his chest vibrating her elbow swiftly met with his stomach. He simply continued to laugh before he too sobered as he understood the enormity of the conversation he had with Ayleth's father. _

"_We don't have to rush into anything my love, we can decline my father's offer." Ayleth expressed as she clung onto her stomach again as she shifted further into her lovers arms, relaxing into the burning of her stomach when she felt Percival's lips on her hair. _

"_He is asking for the right reasons, for we have no idea how long you have with us." _

"_I would prefer it if you could all talk like I am not to die, for I am not yet weak and we still have time to try and stop this curse." _

"_I know Ayleth, but you're father wants to see you happy." _

"_And with child very soon after the marriage it seems." _

"_Yes, that is the only part that concerns me." _

"_I am relieved to know that you too have your doubts in bringing our child into our messed up world when all of these dark occurrences are taking place." _

"_I would feel far more at ease with the idea if Faucon was no longer a problem." _

"_And I." Ayleth voiced as she looked up at Percival who took her hand in reply. _

"_But I see no problems in marrying you sooner my sweet." He smiled_

"_Nor I." _

"_Then it is decided, you my dear will be my wife within the month." _


	24. Chapter Twenty Three

The house was quiet when Riley awoke the next morning. Usually the sounds of clattering pots and pans reverberated from the kitchen while the distant tuneful melody of Antonio's whistling could be heard from the hallway. Today she had nothing and today she simply remained as she was, her small form almost overwhelmed by the large winter duvet that Jeremy had provided as she continued to snuggle deeper into the warmth that was her bed. She could not find the enthusiasm to get up and get ready for the day, especially when the soft material of her long-sleeved pajama top made her all the more comfortable; so she stayed, her sensitive ears listening to the wind and the clicking of the tree branches against her window while the early morning light struggled to penetrate the thick curtains that hung over her windows and just barely managed to light her bedroom.

The young doctor heaved in a large lungful of air as she stretched out her limbs, bubbles of air popping as she stretched her back, arms and legs; her petite hands rubbed against her eyes before she rested her hands gently to her forehead, struggling to sweep her large fringe away from her eyes. It seemed she was long overdue a haircut and there was no chance in hell that she was to let Elena do it… not after last time. Riley couldn't stop the smile from washing to her lips at the memory, but as she reached over to her phone that was sitting on the bedside table, as she looked at the time she momentarily balked. Six in the morning, this really was early.

She continued to count on her fingers as back in England it would just be reaching lunchtime and if she hurried she may even catch Sophie who was just about to start her lunch break. She started to type in the number when suddenly the emotion and events of the last few days fogged her exhausted mind. If she called she wouldn't get an answer but then the thought of hearing Sophie's voice, even as a voicemail message seemed to comfort her mind. Her eyes welled with unshed tears and the doctor harshly blinked them away; now wasn't the time to show weakness, even if she was hidden away from her pack. She had cried too much already and she knew Sophie would be smacking the back of her head if she could see how emotionally out of control she was; especially considering Riley never lost composure and considered herself scared of any emotions.

The werewolf harshly brushed at her eyes with the back of her hand as she flung the quilt away from her body so she was able to sit at the edge of the bed; the biting chill of the house seemed to overwhelm her almost immediately as her bare feet crushed the soft carpet, she wrapped her arms tightly around her chest to try and retain her body heat. Riley quietly padded towards her chest of draws, inwardly cringing when the draws squealed open, as she hoped none of her pack would awaken at her noise. She curled her hands around her change of clothes and quickly but quietly headed out of her bedroom and down the hall to the large bathroom so she could shower and get herself prepared for the day, even if she didn't feel ready.

She turned on the shower and waited till the water hit scolding before she stripped down and entered the warm water and closed the shower door behind her. For what seemed like days, she finally felt her muscles relax as the pelting water smashed against her tense shoulders and over her naked skin while she allowed her mind to wonder. Even though her body seemed to be working fine and even though her mind seemed awake she was far from well rested; the dreams that had plagued her sleep had been long and tiresome and confusing and as she continued to delve deeper into what appeared to be Ayleth's memories she was beginning to share her ancestors emotions, pain and concerns. Could it be that the pair of them were bonded so heavily that even after thousands of years Riley was to experience everything that happened all those years ago as if it were yesterday? If that was the case she hoped she wouldn't be affected by the same thing that Ayleth seemed to suffer with because Riley really didn't like the idea of dying; she was still particularly attached to life, even if it was a real struggle at times.

But it was this ideal that also caused her some concern. If she was to see everything like a history lesson, if she was to feel what Ayleth felt did that mean that all of the deep emotions she felt for her future husband could be passed to her? Hell, she knew it had been a great many years since she had even considered the possibility of finding someone to fall in love with, but when you're a werewolf, the prospects of settling down and having kids was completely out of the question. But for Ayleth it was her duty to produce an heir, and with the legend that Paige had given them a few weeks ago stating that she fell completely in love with Percival, and Riley seriously hoped that she wouldn't feel those emotions for a man long since dead. Her emotions for Nicky were confusing enough and she didn't want to feel the love for both men and start making judgments in who was better; she barley had enough time for that kafuffle in a movie or a TV program so she really didn't want to have to go through that herself in real life.

There was also the question of Faucon and the emotions that stirred up with Ayleth whenever she thought of him. She had loved the man once that much was certain when Riley watched her dreams, but her emotions turned to ones of hurt, anguish, anger and fear. If this man was to frighten possibly the strongest willed woman she had ever encountered she had no idea in how she would react if this threat were still real. Running was the gut instinct that overwhelmed her when she thought about it, but that was also the only option not open to her. If she ran now she knew her pack would be seriously pissed off.

Riley simply lifted her face into the water as she tried to qualm the nervousness that suddenly seemed to be swarming around her body, her mind slowly letting go of those troublesome thoughts as the water kept pouring over her body and allowing her time to just relax and enjoy the feeling.

For what seemed like hours she stood motionless, letting the hot water cascade over her, washing away any and all remnants of the last week. She just wished that the water could rinse away her problems, but as she felt the scolding water start to chill Riley knew that she couldn't hide from the world any longer. She simply moved out of the shower, the water droplets drying from her skin, the chill of the house and the bathroom causing her to shiver as she wrapped her body as quickly as she could in the towel, her sodden hair being wrapped into a messy bun at the back of her head as she concentrated on dressing.

However, after Riley had prepared herself for the day the house was still in darkness. She looked around at the kitchen; the room barely lit as the grey sunlight streamed through the netted curtains that overhung the large wall of windows, the normally cluttered kitchen table was empty of foods, books and other things the pack required while the sheer emptiness of the room seemed all the more prominent considering the majority of the pack spent a large percentage of their day in this one room.

The young werewolf just walked by the table, her fingertips trailing the smooth and well-polished woodwork of the table top, her eyes taking in every detail as if she were observing the room for the first time. Then again, Riley very rarely spent a great deal just studying the details; for a woman whose career was taking notice of any change in condition she wasn't allowed even this basic requirement to satisfy the attentiveness of her brain for too much was always going on or Clayton and Karl were being difficult. But even now she couldn't face the idea of studying Stonehaven, because if she studied her home it meant giving in, it meant accepting her life as part of the Pack, it meant suffering Clayton's continual taunts and it meant she had to learn to tolerate being overlooked.

She went outside. Her eyes taking in the melting snow and ice, her sensitive hearing picking up on the gentle chirpings of bird finally rising from their slumber while the hairs on her skin stood on end as she felt the serve cold that was threatening to overwhelm her. Riley simply sat on the patio furniture, observing the forest and the coming of the new day.

The Doctor had no idea how long she had been sitting there, but she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when a heavy, but remarkably warm blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. Jeremy was standing over her with Antonio following closely behind, three mugs of coffee resting in his hands.

"Thought you could do with one of these." Antonio said as he handed her one of the steaming mugs "It's not English tea I'm afraid." He finished before coming to perch next to her while Jeremy sat on her other side, the three of them gazing out towards the forest in a way very similar to how Riley was observing the forest earlier.

"How long have you been out here?" Jeremy said

"No idea."

"You'll catch cold if you're not careful."

Riley just shrugged her shoulders with a half smile. "I'm sure I can craft something if that were to happen."

"You seem awfully sure of that." Antonio interjected as he took a large gulp of warm coffee.

"I'm a Doctor, it's my job."

Antonio chuckled "Hard to believe that a few years ago you would barely say two words to an elder, now you're joking with them."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Riley questioned with a frown, taking a sip of her own drink and feeling the warming liquid falling down her esophagus. Antonio just lapsed into silence, which caused the young Doctor to think of an explanation or a reason for his words. The others had hinted at her attitude differences like that conversation she had had with Elena a few weeks back but Antonio and Jeremy had never questioned her before. Why insult her by doubting her and then never fully explaining ones self.

"All Antonio means is that you've grown in confidence." Jeremy interjected, hoping to qualm the fiery anger that he could see building in her eyes. "You have obviously taken well to a leadership role over in England."

"It's not that" Riley uttered pulling the blanket closer around her "The guys over in England never wanted to lead, they never even wanted to police the other mutts over in the UK. They had to because I asked them too."

"Asked?" Antonio voiced, a deep frown pressed to his features as he tried to comprehend what she was saying. Pack animals were never asked into a pack environment.

"The pair of them were in some pretty big trouble, whether that be with the other pack authorities or knee deep in mutt problems. I said that if they helped me I would do everything in my power to help them out. As it turned out they accepted and we managed to deal with what ever needed dealing with." Riley explained, never once looking over at her elders as she explained herself "So they had no choice, either join me or die, and being mutts and pretty dangerous ones, they preferred life over death."

"You're saying you're policing the mutts of the UK with human killers?" Antonio balked, nothing but disdain and disgust on his features

"Just the one, but I can assure you that he's changed. He's a different man since he's been working with me; he's become good. They both have."

"Mutts like that don't change over night Riley, you have no way in knowing what they could be doing behind you're back. Besides associating yourself with mutts like this could be the reason were in this mess. We have no idea who they may have annoyed." Jeremy voiced gently, trying to make her understand why Antonio was getting upset by the new information that she had just given them.

"I trust them with my life. I give them the courtesy to prove themselves to me, to give them a chance. That's more than any of you have ever given me." Riley snapped, her eyes flashing with anger as she shoved herself to her feet and moved herself out of their company. All the pack master could do was watch her go, not wanting to anger her further, but as he turned his attention towards his oldest friend he knew that the emotions shining on his countenance could also be found on his. Sorrow, confusion, anger and worry.

"I can't believe that she would consort with wolves like that Jer, she has no idea what kind of danger she could be putting herself in." Antonio urged as he put down his beverage that had been forgotten.

"I know. But she's also right."

"Right? About what?"

"That we don't give our pack members a chance to prove to us what they can do. That's why were surprised by Riley's sudden confidence. She's finally showing us what she's made of and were not accepting her for who she is."

0-0-0

Riley had come to realize that she may have overreacted but she was too proud and stubborn to verbally apologize to Antonio and Jeremy. Instead, she sat there, her eyes staring at the book but unseeing of the words as she listened to the rain-pattering against the window panes of the kitchen and trying to ignore the looks Antonio kept given her. They did not speak of what weighed on both of their minds, although Riley could hear it in Antonio's voice when he spoke with his son, it seemed Nicky was oblivious to the tension that engulfed his companions.

Despite her early start her exhaustion from her crappy night's sleep and failing to sleep in a little longer was starting to get the better of her; maybe that was why she seemed to be trapped in the same painful thought conversation that was the predictable coda of the last few days. Her learned mind disheartened and perplexed as she kept replaying Sophie's last moments and the events that led to her death. For starters she was unable to come up with a viable explanation as to why Sophie was in the States in the first place. Having looked back at her phone history she had answered every text or returned every call unless she hadn't been as careful in regards to keeping her emotions true or not keeping her lies as believable as she had hoped.

But why did Sophie say those things before she died? Was that the reason she was here? To give her some information that she was missing and data that would ultimately prove useful in regards to stopping these creatures or by detailing some sort of evidence that would explain her nightmares, Ayleth and this damned prophecy?

She looked into the vast space that was the kitchen; she could see Antonio preparing a pot of tea while her tired eyes took in Nick's form standing over a particularly ancient looking book that he had picked up from the library. She was frustrated with herself that she had put herself into this position in the first place. A few years ago she would never have given herself the chance to get into an argument with her elders, she would never have defended herself or the ones she was closed to in case it got her too much attention and she sure as hell wouldn't have walked away from a heated discussion. Now she seemed to be getting into a weekly argument and was bubbling with pent up emotions making her pack tread lightly around her in case she exploded.

The Doctor knew that Nick would not be impressed with her if he knew; back in England he has begged her to look after herself, to let him know if the nightmares were beginning to get too much or if she ever felt like she wasn't herself; and now she simply sat opposite him, festering all of these untold problems and she wasn't able to utter a word. It seemed that she was able to face a grieving family but she was inexperienced in facing the man she loved and the people she would consider her own family. It was in that moment when she heard the turning of a book page; she fluttered her eyes up towards Nicky and his father who was pouring the boiling water into three mugs.

"Hey, take a look at this." Nick expressed as he slid from his position on his chair so he was out of the way for both his father and Riley.

"What is it?" Antonio asked, gauging his son's reactions and mirrored his emotions as he walked away from the counter and took up the position Nick had evacuated only moments before. Riley simply looked at the hand Nick was holding out for her; she took it gratefully, heaved herself to her feet and came to stand in front of him but to Antonio's right. Nick himself simply curled his arm around the young Doctor, his forearm touching her back while his hand came to rest on the back of his father's chair. Riley, though momentarily distracted by Nick's closeness managed to finally focus her tired eyes to the crinkled pages in front of her.

"It was a book the librarian suggested I loan out when she noticed the other books that I intended to borrow. Seems a lot of the towns people read it to their children whilst they were growing up."

"They think it's just legend and fairy tales?" Riley asked as her eyes continued to study the words and one of them took her by surprise.

"They mention her by name!"

"Who?" Antonio asked with a confused expression.

"Ayleth." Nick stated "At first I thought it was just coincidence, but then it started to go into some serious detail, especially on the Sir Percival side of things. Just rung far too familiar to what Paige said."

"And Faucon? Does it mention him?"

"I've only gotten through the first couple of chapters but it appears to have been from the point of view from a Druid Scholar known as Gregory…"

"Bostel." Riley interrupted, running on autopilot and it was when she took in the confused expressions of her companions that she realized her mistake. "What?" She asked, trying to shift their attention to something else besides her.

"How did you know? Have you read this?" Nick questioned.

"No but it's a pretty common name."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't." Nick voiced again, this time putting some effort into his words as he bore his eyes to hers. He knew how she knew, he was the only person who knew just how serious these dreams were and from the look he was giving her right now she realized that this conversation was far from over and unfortunately for her she had no other choice then to detail to him the images she had been seeing. Thankfully for her Nick suddenly changed the subject and turned to the front page. "Apparently it was written by a British author that goes by the name of Jeffery Hyde."

"Jeffery Hyde?"

"Name sound familiar?" Antonio asked as he took a sip of his tea

"I had a patient with that name. Happened to be a Shaman too."

"Do you reckon it could be the same guy?"

"Could be." Riley voiced "Leave it with me and I'll do some digging." Riley expressed as she grabbed hold of her phone from the tabletop. However, before she was able to find her relevant contact Clayton came barreling into the kitchen with an expression that showed they had a task given to them via their alpha.

"Jeremy wants us to check out the murder site." He voiced and watched as the three of them got to their feet, Antonio closing the book in the process "Ah, just you two." He voiced, no tact and no sympathy as he fluttered his gaze towards the Sorrentino boys. Riley couldn't prevent her heart from dropping as she watched the frown over taking Nick's expression. The older wolf turned his attention back towards Riley as if silently asking if she wanted him to pursue this, but as the Doctor perched back to the kitchen chair she simply shook her head and watched him go. Again, solidifying her doubts about Pack life, her useful ness and once again proving a point that Jeremy was still not giving her the chance to prove herself in a 'tracking' or 'hunting' respective of her life.


	25. Chapter Twenty Four

Riley could feel the refreshing night air swirling over her clammy figure, as the window was slightly ajar, blowing through the loose tendrils of her mahogany hair as her sensitive hearing picked up the unusual sounds of the forest. Normally she would hear the rattling of the leaves in the wind or the barking of deer, but today the forest was eerily silent. She had perched herself to the dense wall of her balcony, the stars twinkling in the clear dark blue sky, the moon shining vibrantly over Stonehaven and Bear Valley as she collapsed her back further to the wall that was supporting her. She had unintentionally dozed in one of the chairs in the lounge, hoping to have stayed awake in hopes of her Pack arriving home after their searching, and the dream that had plagued her had also terrified her.

She had quickly sought safety in her bedroom, not wanting Jeremy to see the fear in her eyes and the clamminess of her skin considering the temperature was barely above 5 degrees. So sitting outside in the freezing cold, with a thick layer of sweat covering you're body wasn't the cleverest idea she had ever had, but she really needed some time to comprehend the images she had seen. She moved her arms around her legs as she hugged her knees closer to her chest in hopes of retaining at least a little of her body heat.

The soft material of her pajama top was blowing gently in the wind, her covered arm spotted with goose pimples as Riley absentmindedly played with the patterned material that could be found at the hem of her pajamas. Her internal temperature was cooling in the night air as she wrapped the loose hair around the outer shell of her ear. Her mind still elsewhere as she unconsciously thought back to the series of troubling circumstances that had led her here to the States; unfortunately those circumstances had only gotten worse since her arrival.

However, she was bitterly pulled from her thoughts when she could hear the clattering of the back door in the kitchen slamming open and then closed. She couldn't stop herself from hearing the grumblings and belligerent statements uttered by her missing pack mates as they arrived home, and they were anything but happy. Even though it seemed the others were a little stressed, she couldn't stop the smile from washing to her lips knowing that her family had arrived back home, even if they were very very late.

"Riley!" Antonio screamed from the bottom of the stairs. The young Doctor simply bolted from her spot, careful not to slip on the long trousers that she was wearing as she ran through her bedroom and onto the landing, conscious that her footsteps were echoing around the house as the ancient floorboards creaked under her weight. She felt the stair banister in her hands as she leant around it in hopes of keeping her balance as she pounded down the stairs and towards the kitchen.

When she rounded the corner, she had no time to slow her heart when she watched as Nick and Clayton struggled to lift the body of an unconscious man onto the large kitchen table that Elena was frantically trying to clear. Riley herself ran to Clay's side, making sure that the mans head was gently placed to the wood before rushing to grab the jumper Nick had draped across the back of one of the chairs so she could let his head rest on it.

Nevertheless, it was when the rest of her pack were running around trying to get hold of Jeremy, or sort out her medical supplies, did she really get the opportunity to study the fellow laying before her. He must've been in his late fifties, with his sideburns starting to turn grey and flecks of grey could also be found in the unshaven hair that was covering the strong masculine jaw. She washed her hands and gloved up as she paid her attention to the deep cut that transected the left of his forehead and into his hairline. His black hair was short but held a side parting which made it a little difficult to see the length and severity of his wound considering it seemed to get lost in the surprising mob of thick hair he had.

"What happened?" Jeremy asked calmly as he finally moved through the archway of the kitchen, surprising his Pack with the quietness of his approach. Riley again lifted her eyes away from her studying and towards her Alpha, the anger in which she hoped she had lost slowly rising considering she could've helped this man sooner.

"Elena picked up a scent pretty much as soon as we made it into the east part of our territory." Clay started as he passed his wife various bowls so she could prepare some hot water for Riley who would need them to clean her patient's wounds.

"But it was difficult to distinguish what was old and new as the scents were too badly interwoven. I had us tracking the wrong scent for most of the evening." Elena uttered as she looked towards Riley, her eyes displaying her emotion and sadness. The young Doctor gave her a small smile knowing that Elena had wished to have her with her to try and follow the right path.

"Not that it mattered." Karl grumbled "The damn thing almost took us out when he swoop in with this guy in his talons."

"He saw you?" Riley asked, unable to keep the surprise and worry from entering her voice as she looked towards Nick and his father.

"We we're lucky." Nick said gently

"Clayton knew he was there before any of us did and we managed to find cover." Antonio interjected as he looked towards Riley and then Jeremy.

"Was there evidence to suggest this creature was staying in our territory?" Jeremy questioned, his features an expression of eerie serenity as if the news of this terrifying creature was nothing to worry about. At time he could seriously rival Riley's ability of keeping her face blank.

"Not that we found, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest that they keep returning to the forest." Elena expressed as she rested the bowls of water to Riley's side. While Riley half listened to the conversation she continued to look for any other distinguishing or serious head injuries that the man may have sustained and apart from the small lump present on his parietal bone he was otherwise unscathed. His hands told another story, but were not causing his unconsciousness. However, all the while she studied him she couldn't stop a nagging feeling of familiarity washing to the front of her mind, as if her mind was trying to remember him.

"Nick, can I have my pen light please?" Riley asked him gently as she moved her attention from the man in front of her to the man next to her. He simply nodded his head gently, his warm hand pressing between her shoulder blades as he rummaged through her bag looking for the silver object. He found it within moments and passed it towards her.

"And you're sure of this?" Jeremy asked again.

"Well no." Elena stammered as she fluttered her eyes towards Clay and Antonio who was uncomfortably shuffling on his feet. It seemed the entirety of her pack, baring Karl, did not agree with the order of keeping Riley behind. Inwardly this had the Doctor's spirit soring.

"Don't lie to me Elena." Jeremy warned, his expression turning dark as he faced the blonde.

"I'm not lying Jeremy." Elena expressed through gritted teeth. "I don't know what to say, if I had Riley helping me track we would've had the advantage. She knows what she's looking for, she knows how these things think and you ordered her to stay behind. What else did you expect? That we would find and kill one of these things?" Elena exclaimed, her anger and frustration rising considering she had never been one to control her emotions. Maybe that was why when Clayton and Elena fought the whole of Bear Valley knew about it.

"I expected something more than another problem."

"He may know something." Riley expressed, refusing to look away from him as she continued to feel around his skull "Like why was he found being dragged by this creature in the first place. Very curious to me." Riley finished, failing to notice the peeved expression Jeremy shot in her direction. Nick simply squeezed her shoulder to make her realize that she needed to watch her mouth. It seemed Jeremy was no in the best of moods.

Riley lifted his eyelids; astonished by the deep brown of his eyes and the sudden onslaught of familiarity as she tried to read his pupillary light reflex in hopes of no sensory or motor damage. She shone the torch in his left and right eye and relaxed when she watched his pupils constrict. He hadn't lost any brain stem function. Next was his heartbeat and as soon as Nick handed her her stethoscope and was preparing to listen to his heart, Riley jumped back in surprise when she felt his body tense and jump up.

Nick and Clayton were on him within seconds, their hands going to his shoulders as they tried to calm the man who was struggling and screaming for them to let him go, however his hand found Riley's wrist and as soon as his fingers curled around her appendage he stopped and dragged her towards him, forcing her through Nick and Clayton's arms so she was almost draped across him. Riley had to try not and wince as the man put added pressure on her healing wrist and the scabs that had only just covered the injury she had received from when the creature tried to carry her off.

"Let her go." Nick ordered, his hands trying to prize his fingers from around Riley's wrist, the young Doctor fighting all the time as Clayton continued to wrestle with his shoulders.

"Ayleth." Was all he said, the harsh tones of his voice cracking due to the use.

"I think you may be confused." Riley replied, still struggling but nowhere near as much as she tried to get over the frantic beating of her heart as she tried to comprehend the situation.

"They're coming for you princess and this time Percival cannot help you. Ayleth, you must heed my warnings."

"My name is Riley Thompson not Ayleth." Riley urged again, feeling his strength waning as he slumped into Clayton's arms

"Where is my lady? The lady of the lake." He whispered before falling to unconsciousness once again. Riley uncurled his hand from her wrist and took a cautious step backwards, her heart shuddering in her chest as she moved towards Nick, seeking out his hand for comfort, as the enormity of the few words spoken with him seemed to overwhelm each member of the pack. The Doctor moved her eyes towards Elena and Antonio who were just as concerned as she was but it was Jeremy who pulled them from their reprieve.

"Get him upstairs, you can do a better job at keeping him comfortable in the spare bedroom." Jeremy voiced. Watching as Nick and Riley nodded their heads before Nick hauled the guy into his arms and headed towards the hidden stair case just to the other side of the oven whilst Riley collected her medical supplies and the warm water and followed suit.

0-0-0

The man found unconscious in the woods had been left in her care for the last hour. She had managed to clean and dress the wounds on his hands and his forehead and had also made sure to use one of her trusted ice packs for the swell on his head. Right now, the best thing for him was sleep, and as she sat in one of the chairs by his bedside he was doing just that. She herself had managed to treat her own wrist injury in the time she had been sitting on her own.

For the past hour she had been looking at him, studying his features in hopes of trying to come up with an idea as to why she knew he was. It had proved fruitful; as she believed the man lying in the bed in front of her was Gregory Bostel, a druid that worked with Ayleth. It was not surprising that her brain was trying to tell her who he was considering she had seen him on many occasions in her dreams.

He was one of the main protagonists of her dreams. He was always there when information was needed or Ayleth and her father needed guidance. But he was also a formidable warrior and was well versed in both magic and weapon handling. He had been a formidable ally and Ayleth and Percival considered him to be one of their closest friends. However, he also had a habit of disappearing on them and it had taken them years to locate him the first time. So was that why he had only just appeared to them now? And how on earth did he happen to be alive and relatively okay in the twenty-first century? Why was he here? Was he going to help them? And why had he called her Ayleth and not Riley? After all she looked very different from Ayleth.

Riley felt a warm hand encase the shape of her shoulder, finally managing to pull the werewolf from her thoughts. Riley looked up to the form that was Nick who had concern shining deeply in his brown eyes, the young doctor giving him a small smile, following his eyes as he perched himself to the edge of the bed, making sure not to disturb the slumbering Bostel as he rested one of his hands to the wood that was the bottom of the bed.

"You alright?" Nick expressed gently, his comfort vibrating within the tone of his voice as he took in the stress that was visible on her expression.

"I'm always alright." Riley replied with a forced smirk, watching as Nick placed his warm hand to her knee, allowing Riley the chance to observed his movements before looking back towards him.

"If alright is special Doctor code for not really all right, then I'm alright too." Nick soothed and gave her a gentle smile when he watched the small smirk gracing her lips as she looked away from him and towards the man lying very still under the duvet. "You're wrist okay?"

"It's fine, really Nicky everything's fine." Riley said as she forced the air into her lungs as she moved her eyes back towards Nick whose own sadness and dejection was visibly showing. He inclined his head to the left, trying to get a better look at her as he raised his hand as he tried to move her long side fringe away from her features, his eyes momentarily drawn to the Celtic symbol forever etched to her collarbone that was on show due to her pajamas.

"But it's not. We really needed you out there tonight and if I had fought your corner and asked Jeremy…"

"He would also be annoyed with you too." Riley interrupted "He's still angry about how I dealt with Sophie and I don't want you getting mixed up in all of that too."

"And what if I want too?"

"I would say you're braver than me." Riley smiled, but she was cut short when Bostel moved around in his sleep. Riley looked back towards Nick and motioned towards the door. Nick in return nodded his head and followed his companion towards the door. Riley was consciously aware of how Nick held open the door and rested his hand to the bottom of her back.

"You still don't think we need you." Nick whispered when he finally heard the clicking of the bedroom door latch. It seemed that Riley was unable to hide her emotions from the man; but was it really a surprise considering he knew her better than anyone.

"I fell asleep while waiting for you. I shouldn't be sleeping, I should've snuck out and helped." Riley hissed back as they headed down the stairs and towards the living room and the roaring fire.

"But then you really would be in some serious shit with Jeremy."

"Better than being tucked up in here all safe. Sometimes it's worth breaking the rules when you're fighting for something you believe to be right."

"Then why didn't you?" Nick questioned as he sat in one of the armchairs while Riley took a chair next to the fire.

"Because I'm a coward."

"You're not a coward. Stubborn and sometimes irrational but not a coward."

"If you were, do you really think we would try to make you stay?" The voice of Elena sounded as her slender form moved in from the kitchen while her husband was following closely behind. The pair took up a seat.

"Despite what you might think of us, we really do need you here." Clay responded, saying words Riley had never thought to hear.

"No, what you need is the free drugs and painkillers!" She retorted with a small smirk.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't see what you guys see."

"That's because you don't think you're worth it." Nick expressed with his own gentle smile and expression.

"Well I'm not."

"Trust us when we say you are. You've faced this thing more than any one of us, you know how it thinks, how it moves and how it hunts. You were scratched by this thing and by some miracle you survived. But if it weren't for you I wouldn't have gotten through my first changes or have agreed to stay. Half of us have benefitted from your medical expertise which has saved us so many times."

"So why is Jeremy keeping me locked up in Stonehaven?"

"He thinks it for your own protection." Clay voiced from his position. His figure relaxed as he draped himself into the corner of his chair, his arm curling around his wife while the other was rested on the arm of the chair.

"Which is absurd as it'll only frighten her away." Nick imputed.

"And it's working." Riley sighed as she looked away from her friends and towards the fire.

"Maybe you just need to prove that you can provide more to the pack." Clay expressed, failing to notice the dark expression that suddenly overtook Riley's features.

"I've been trying to do that for the last fourteen years." Riley snarled.

"Then try harder." Clayton retorted stubbornly failing to notice the hard stares given to him by both his wife and old friend.

"It's easy for you to say. You' re intimidating and built like a house."

"But you're clever and cunning." Elena smiled. "Getting the guy upstairs to see what he knows is a good place to start. Maybe then Jer will realize he should be using you, not scaring you away."

"Clay? Elena? I need you!" Jeremy's voice sounded from somewhere in the depths of the house. Elena and Clayton just looked to each other and bought in a lungful of air as they got to their feet.

"Just think about it okay?" Elena whispered to Riley as she pressed a kiss to her cheek and followed her husband to find their alpha. Riley just watched them leave before she turned her attention towards Nick's studying expression.

"You already know who he is don't you?" Nick questioned, a smile gracing his lips as he said it.

"His name is Gregory Bostel, and he fought with Ayleth." Riley sighed with resignation.

"Good guy or bad?"

"He's good, definitely good." Riley smiled as she crossed her legs to her side and placed her hands between her thighs to try and warm them.

"How'd you know who he was? Did he wake up while we were away?"

"Not exactly." Riley expressed cryptically. Again, Nick narrowed his eyes as he took in the contours of her face as he tried to get an accurate read on her.

"You've seen him in you're dreams." Nick said, watching as Riley nodded her head.

"They're getting worse. The things I see are so confusing but the whole of my being is screaming for me to listen and understand because it's so important. How can I prove myself when I don't even think I know who I am anymore?"

"Well I can tell you if you like." Nick expressed as he held out his hand, thankful that she took it and allowed him to guide her onto his lap, his fingers moving the hair away from her features as he made her look at him. "I think you are a strong and beautiful woman who is intelligent and knows right from wrong. You will do anything to help you're friends or family, even if it means sacrificing yourself."

"I'm glad you have such a high opinion of me." Riley uttered as she moved her eyes away from him and started playing with the hem of her sleeve.

"You don't see it?"

"Not really."

"Well you'll just have to trust me. Which I wish you would; why won't you tell me about your dreams. I could help."

"I think this is something I have to do on my own."

"There you go again, doing it again." Nick cried, an edge of annoyance and sarcasm in his voice.

"Do what?" Riley asked with a frown.

"As soon as anyone offers you help you refuse them and retreat back into yourself to suffer on your own."

"I don't know. I guess it's a way to protect myself and not get hurt."

"It's also a sure way of being alone. You need to start listening to us Riley, because people care about you, and the moping is starting to get old."

"I do not mope."

"My sweet Riley, you really do. I mean we're trying to help but everything bad that's happening to you right now you think it's our fault. We can't help if you won't let us."

"I don't think that Nick."

"You don't?"

"Of course not."

"Then let us help. That's what we're here for. For the pack to look out for each other."

"We both know that I haven't been part of the pack for years."

"Then change it. Let us see what you're really made off. Let go of your past and tell us what's holding you back. We might surprise you and accept it."

"I highly doubt that."

"What is so terrible that it's stopping you from accepting us? I'm not being funny but it's starting to get boring."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you. All I want to do is forget it and look to the future."

"Your past will catch up with you. Are you ready to face yours alone?"

"Who says I'll be alone?"

"I do, because if you keep pushing us away you'll have no one to save you. Look, I know you're scared and emotional right now, but you need to understand that it's not just you that this is happening too, but all of us. I'm terrified that dad could get scratched but I don't sulk about it. I'm trying to do something to protect him, to protect you."

"I don't need protecting."

"I know you don't because you're pretty handy in a fight. But I care about you and I just wish you would let me do this one thing for you."

"It's not easy to just let go of years worth of barriers and let someone in."

"I know, and I accept that, but this is me were talking about. What harm could it do?"

"Oh I don't know." Riley started with a smile "You could run off with the next pretty blonde you see and let me get eaten alive."

"Eaten alive? Where's the fun in that." Nick replied with his own smile "Burning alive on the other hand, that's much more fun." The werewolf finished before resting his cheek to the top of Riley's hair as she snuggled in closer, the pair of them really starting to feel the biting chill of the house as they held each other in their arms.

"Thank you." Riley voiced from her position.

"For what?"

"For just being you."

"Always and forever sweet, always and forever."


	26. Chapter Twenty Five

He hated the idea of being confined to Stonehaven. Hated the very idea of staying in only a few of its rooms to find the pockets of heat from the fireplaces. Hated its endless tangles of long analogous corridors but knowing full well that he would be unable to find an area of privacy. He did not want to speak with his Pack; Clay and Karl were determined to get their point across regarding the changed circumstances they now found themselves in while Jeremy was adamant for Riley to stay well clear of their discussions. To say Riley's isolation was starting to grate on his nerves was an understatement; wasn't the whole idea of being a Pack was to work together and come up with a plan together? If Jeremy was hell bent in keeping her safe why didn't he just send her back to England?

All he wanted was to smell the calming and familiar aroma of the pine trees outside, to hear the barking of deer and the rustling of leaves. The snow had almost disappeared from their territory and all he wanted to do was run and to try and forget everything that was happening, if only for a few hours. Instead he was stuck inside, all too aware of the rising tension and pathetic bickering that his Pack was now involved in.

The werewolf begrudgingly allowed his eyes to fall over the pale blue walls and shield covered lighting fixtures as he paid no attention to his squabbling companions; his mind falling again to the constant nagging at the back of his head that symbolized the agonizing truth that he wasn't fighting for Riley hard enough. He knew his time was running out, he knew that Riley was thinking of leaving due to her segregation and he knew he needed to tell her how he really felt. Things were getting worse by the hour but with the continuous mind-numbing squabbling and the politics of their pack, ultimately he knew it was up to him to convince Riley to do something and for her to understand her dreams and put a stop to all of this.

However, he knew she was in no state to just suddenly realize what her subconscious was telling her and to storm whatever strong hold they had over here in the states. For starters they didn't even know why they were here and where they were hiding. He also knew that if she were to do this alone it would lead to her death and if he could he would make sure that she would survive this ordeal. He needed to guide her to the relevant information if he could, to try and help her in getting Bostel to talk so they could find out what he knew and technically speaking they needed to do this privately so Riley was considered vital to the Pack instead of disposable. All of these ideas were swimming around his mind but as Nick moved along the corridor that held the sleeping form of Bostel and his doctor he was abruptly pulled from his troublesome thoughts when Karl was snarling at Clay.

"The fucker has just put us in more danger. We shoulda just left him there and let them get on with it." Karl snarled darkly, his dark eyes boring into Nick's back before fluttering his eyes down towards Clay who seemed to be the only one rising to the bait.

"You mean leave him to his death." Nick uttered sarcastically as he refused to turn around to face Karl. It seemed Clayton was just as annoyed with his statement.

"Careful, if you disrespect Jeremy's orders again I won't be at fault for my actions." Clay retorted childishly, his face moving to look directly into Karl's smug expression as the trio continued down the corridor.

"Oh please, if you believed he was so infallible you would have found out what this guy knows already. Hell, I doubt leaving him in the hands of a woman who can hardly make a decision is a good idea either."

"He's been here less than a day dickhead and spent all of it comatose. What am I supposed to do, beat him till he tells us what we want to know?"

"Isn't that you're usual approach? Come on! You're too far up Jeremy's ass to ever disobey him, that's your problem." Karl grumbled as they turned the final corner. Nick shot Karl a brief look, his eyes hard with emotion as he struggled to compose himself. It seemed Clay had not failed to notice his sudden predicament and refused to comment. "Which is why you've been getting Jeremy's coffee for goodness knows how long. And you," Karl started as he pulled his attention towards Nick, the younger wolf just turned to face his elder, his sensitive hearing understanding every word and his eyes turned ice cold in the process "You have everything you could possibly want yet you leave her waiting. I would hurry up, because there're maybe other wolves that would like a piece of her."

Everything happened so fast, only a moment before Nick was calm and composed, the next his impassive features contorted with dangerous fury as the younger werewolf flung his hands to Karl's chest, shoving him to the wall as he held Karl by his throat in an unbreakable grip. Thankfully this was a move he had remembered after all those self-defense lessons he had with his father.

"You touch her, I swear to god I will end you." Nick snapped perilously, his eyes boring into Karl's as the majority of his emotions shone within his dark eyes, his voice never quivering, his hold never deteriorating as he unleashed the fury he had tucked deep down and out of sight.

"I'm just trying to do what is right for the pack."

"Oh really? Because I think maybe you have another agenda." Nick growled as he flung his hand from the other man's throat, stepping away from the werewolf. "Maybe you think that playing us against each other and putting doubt into our minds will distract us from what you're really planning. That you're so starved for power, you would step on any of us to get it. We all know you've been eyeing up Jeremy's position, to become Alpha and to then take anything you want with Riley being the first on your list. It's no secret that you're in love with her. "

"That's a lie." Karl snarled, leaning closer towards Nick who refused to back down.

"Is it? All the teasing and put downs are just your way of covering your true feelings. Weren't you saying to her just the other day that a man of your stature could give her everything she wanted?"

"She told you?"

"Of course she did. I'm not an idiot Karl." The werewolf was not surprised when he felt Clay resting his palm to his chest as he pushed him away. He was unaware of the emotions bubbling within Nick's heart, his mind falling to the various circumstances that had led Riley to intervene in the same way Clay was now.

"Nick." Clay voiced, his own eyes wide, shaking his head as to stop him. "Take it easy. We have no idea what he wants or what he's planning."

"Maybe not yet." Nick whispered perniciously "But I will find out. And when I do there will be no mercy. You stay away from Riley." He ordered, his finger pointing towards Karl, expression dark and hard before he moved into the room Riley had inhabited as he tried to calm himself down and forget everything Karl had said. He closed the door in their faces.

It took him a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness of the room. The curtains were still closed over the large window that dominated the wall in front of him and the lamp beside the bed was struggling to penetrate the darkness that was trying to overwhelm the spare bedroom of Stonehaven. As he moved deeper into the room, he could see that Bostel was still lying comfortably on the bed, with the thick duvet tucked under his arms while Riley was seated in the large armchair.

She had a thick blanket slung over her bent knees while the large ancient book detailing the adventures of Ayleth was resting on her thighs and in her hands. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and the dark purple bruises under her eyes symbolized to him that she had had very little to no sleep at all. Her elbow was resting to the arm of her chair at the same time as her head was leaning on her balled fist as she tried to keep her eyes reading the large swirling letters on the pages in front of her. She looked like a sorry sight and he could not stop his heart from constricting once again.

Nick just moved into Riley's line of sight, hoping his anger and his temper was back under control but as the small frown seemed to overwhelm her features he realized he didn't have that much control. The exhaustion and stress was beginning to show on her beautiful features as he moved over towards the chair positioned next to her.

"How's he doing?" Nick asked as he folded his arms across his chest, his head motioning towards their visitor as Riley fluttered her eyes between Nick and Bostel.

"He's okay. Just sleeping at the moment." Riley expressed as she closed the large book in her hands, Nick not able to remove his focus from her dejected figure.

"And you? Please tell me you haven't been up here all night? You got some sleep too?"

"I got a little."

"Oh really?" Nick asked with a knowing glint in his eyes and a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah." Riley replied with a smile of her own, a smile that only got brighter when she felt Nick reaching towards her and gently resting his fingertips to the skin of her cheek. "Besides I thought it best I kept myself hidden and out of the way. Jeremy and Karl have been everything but welcoming and I think your father is still pretty angry with me regarding the guys back in England. Has anything been decided?"

"Not yet, Dad suggested we take a break as we were starting to stray off topic. I don't think he was enjoying the arguing."

"It always ends with bickering."

"I know." Nick said sadly before bringing in a large lungful of air and hurriedly changed the subject. "Has he said anything?"

"Nothing we can use. He's muttered the odd word or name but that's about it."

"We really need his help. Jeremy won't admit it but he's running out of ideas and the Pack is starting to get restless. They're demanding answers which he cannot provide them."

"I knew it would end this way." She said with a sad weak smile. "I've been trying to do some research, to read the book you found detailing Ayleth's adventures in hopes of some of our questions being answered. The only problem is that when one question is answered two or three more questions need asking. It's frustrating."

"Nobody said this was going to be easy."

"They didn't say it would be this difficult either." Riley uttered. "I mean look at this, every legend mentions Ayleth's bravery, her strength and her finesse as a warrior. The blooming woman was a dragon rider for goodness sake. How on earth am I to compete with that?"

"We don't even know if she's involved. Are you sure you're not looking at this from the wrong point of view? Surely identifying the creatures coming after us are more of a priority now than investigating whether Ayleth was real or not? Jeremy and Karl would certainly agree with me."

"I don't care if they do or don't. Deep down I know Ayleth is important and if she wasn't why is my subconscious only showing me her story? If these creatures are so damned important why do I only ever see her?"

"Riley, we don't even know if she's real, she could be made up. Hell these stories could all be made up. We both know that she is not involved in the more common stories regarding King Arthur, his Knights and Camelot. There has never been any mention of his daughter."

"We both know you don't believe that. With my dreams, my mark, my ability to read ancient Celtic and Bostels positive identification of Ayleth something serious is going on here and we are in way over our heads. Besides every fairytale, every legend is made up from some element of truth."

However, the pair were pulled from there conversation when a groan echoed around the room. A deep frown washed over Bostel's expression and as he awkwardly pulled his body deeper into the mattress he lifted a hand to touch his injured head. Riley was on her feet within seconds, moving his hands away from his bandaged skull and momentarily fought with him so she could study his eyes. His deep brown orbs struggled to focus for a few moments before recognition flooded his eyes.

"You're highness Ayleth!" He voiced, freezing at her grip as he suddenly stopped struggling, Riley just looked up towards Nick who was on the other side of the bed, his hands pressed to Bostel's shoulders as he tried to keep him confined. The older werewolf could feel Riley's eyes staring at him and as he lifted his features to look at her he knew that his expression of concern but anticipation mirrored her own.

"My name is Doctor Riley Thompson, it was my family who found you being dragged through our woods by a creature. You sustained a closed head injury before you came here. You're suffering with a concussion and a variety of scalp wounds which could be causing your confusion."

"You bare the mark, there can be no confusion." Bostel expressed, his hand pulling away from Riley and towards her collarbone, removing the fabric of her shirt to display the intricate reef that was her tattoo. "You may not know it now, but something is coming, something that has the potential to destroy civilization." He managed to say, his eyes drooping as if his words were so much effort. He was slipping from consciousness once again and the young Doctor knew that she didn't have the time to let him sleep once again. This was the first time he had properly gained consciousness and she realized this was her chance to prove her worth to her pack. She slowly placed her warm hand to his cheek, shaking him a little in hopes of rousing him.

"What is coming? Can you tell us what is after us?"

"First are the foot soldiers…" He trailed, his words slowing as he whispered, eyes drooping more and more, words coming out as merely a whisper.

"Those creatures? Are they the first? Can we expect more? Please Mr Bostel, we need to know what they are so we can defend ourselves."

"Where is my lady?" He uttered again, unknown of the frown overwhelming Riley's features as Bostel uttered words she didn't understand. Her confusion was evident on her features as she shared a brief glance at Nick again before forcing Bostel to look at her. Again his eyes fluttered towards her as he struggled to focus.

"These creatures? We need to know what they are?" Riley urged, "What are they?"

"The creatu…." He whispered his words being lost in his voice before he seemed to muster a small ounce of strength. "Gargoyles." Was all he said before he slumped into the mattress once again and drifted back into unconcisouness.

Riley simply stared at him, her heartbeat racing within her chest as her mind struggled to come up with some logical explanation regarding his identification of those terrifying creatures. How could stone statues meant to watch over and protect ancient church buildings be responsible for the deaths of so many people? But then something was also stirring in her mind. The possibility of a war between two different sides, the using of said creatures and the manipulation of different ideals.

She took a step away from the bed, some many different thoughts swarming around her mind as she tried to understand everything she had been trying to organize as her radical mind tried to come up with some sort explanation. Instead all she did was look up towards Nick who was just as confused as she was before she bolted towards the ancient book she had been reading.

"Riley?" Nick voiced as he came to Riley's side before following after her as she moved towards her desk area and frantically flicked through the book as if she were searching for a certain page. "Riley what's going on?" He asked her again, an edge of panic in his tone as his moved his eyes from Riley and towards the pages that went past showing ink drawings of horrifying creatures or ancient runes. Again Riley refused to answer him as she slammed her hand to the page she wanted and then bolted from the room. "Riley!" Nick bellowed as he ran to keep up with her, swinging around the doorframe to see Riley was already jogging down the stairs with a distracted expression.

Nick in return just sprinted down the hallway, his long legs propelling him after Riley. He jumped down the flights of stairs, careful not to bash himself against the banister as he veered to the right, down the slim corridor and towards the kitchen that held his Pack who was preparing to reconvene their meeting. Nick could see Riley's flustered cheeks as she prepared to discuss whatever brainwave she had just had with her pack, but as he came to stand next to her he realized that none of them were taking any notice of the pair of them.

The warm lighting was illuminating the busy faces of their Pack; Elena was brewing multiple mugs of steaming coffee, Clay was brooding over various pages of the medieval literature they had been forced to study while Jeremy, Karl and his father were struggling to keep their private conversation private as their voices began to carry around the room. Riley however had had enough of being ignored the slammed the book to the table top, rattling the empty mugs and plates due to the force of her blow. Elena was unable to stop herself from jumping considering she hadn't been expecting to see Riley away from her patient, but the hard stares she received from the others would have made Nick turn tail and run. But Riley was far more stubborn than anyone else he knew.

"Riley, I hope you have a good enough reason for interrupting our meeting when the man upstairs is supposed to be in your care." Jeremy voiced, his tone even and unemotional as he continued his facade of authority.

"I know what they are." Riley replied, her annoyance evident in her voice as she watched Jeremy flutter his eyes between the pair of them before he settled on Riley again.

"Really?"

"They're Gargoyles." She continued, sliding the book at the relevant page towards him, watching as the rest of her pack crowded around him, looking over his shoulder in hopes of trying to understand how she had come to that conclusion. Unaware that Bostel had given her the positive ID. "Bostel was awake long enough to tell us what they are." She said with a shrug. Nevertheless she started to inwardly squirm under Clay's penetrating stare as if he was looking right into her before a small smile washed to his features.

"You've had a lot of time to think about this. He only confirmed what you theorized."

"I have had my suspicion yes." She replied with a shoulder shrug.

"I always thought Gargoyles were good? Like protectors." Antonio voiced as he moved his eyes from the book and towards the Doctor.

"And I think most of them are." Riley started. "But apparently centuries ago something happened that split them into two sides. The side of the good and the side of the dark." She started.

"What have you read?" Antonio asked as he moved into a seat next to his alpha.

"Back before Arthur and Merlin, Gargoyles were considered a whole race of their own, very much like werewolves and witches. They were known to have incredible strength, were fantastic thinkers and were the best at surviving. Many people searched for any signs of the mysterious Gargoyles as they were very secretive, kept themselves to themselves and had the extraordinary ability to keep themselves hidden."

"But let me guess, there was a war." Karl said as he raised his dark eyebrows. Riley simply nodded.

"The Great War." Was all she said.

"What happened?" Elena questioned, slowly falling into a seat close to her, her steaming mug of coffee pressed into her hands almost forgotten as if she was transfixed with the story.

"There were two factions of the Council of Magi. Those who studied the magic of the mind, so telepathy, clairvoyance and telekinesis while the other faction practiced the physical arts which I believe are the ancestors of the witches and sorcerers we know today."

"And what was Merlin? A physical?" Clay asked.

"I don't know." Riley expressed with a disheartened smile "But the legend only goes into detail about the original eight stewards of magic who were considered the more experienced and well versed in their chosen magic field."

"So they could be considered coven leaders or elders." Elena asked again.

"I believe so." Riley said with a nod. "But one of the stewards, Bricius who practiced coercive persuasion, so part of the magic of the mind faction, was tempted by the darker, more powerful side to magic. He thought the Council were holding him back by keeping certain spells and incantations hidden from him or by refusing him apprentices and special tasks. He demanded they give him everything regarding mind control to be given to him so he was to become the elder in that area. When they refused he tried to practice his magic on them to give him ultimate control of the Council. Some who were not as strong in mind fell to his manipulation but most of them stood against him and threw him out of the order."

"Big mistake." Nick uttered quietly from Riley's side.

"The Stewards knew the Bricius wasn't going to go without a fight so they realized that they needed to protect themselves and their protégées, and that was where the Gargoyles came in handy. The Gargoyles though remained hidden and out of politics found themselves in a tight spot. One of the neighboring kingdoms was invading their land, locating and killing whatever was different from their own kind, which ultimately meant that gargoyle numbers were being decimated. One of the Stewards trainees had heard of a super secretive and protective race and asked his master whether he could try to locate them."

"I take it he did." Clayton voiced

"He did and he also managed to convince one of the leaders of the gargoyles known as a Chieftain to join them as their protectors. To work for the Council of magi and protect them."

"Surely those beasts were out matched by Bricius's strength and magic."

"They were, and the Stewards realized that. Now he was on his own Bricius also tried to learn physical type spells too so he could attack them when he was ready. So the Stewards cast a variety of spells enhancing the Gargoyles strength and abilities. The book details a specific weapon that bought their victims to their knees mirroring that with the work of the devil. Apparently people affected by this Gargoyle weapon were found with their blood turned black and their flesh blistering."

"The venom?" Antonio expressed, half questioning half knowing.

"That's what I assumed. So many of these Stewards and their high apprentices came together to create the strongest of Gargoyles in hopes of warding off evil, unaware that they had made this once peaceful race into horrifying war machines."

"What happened to Bricius?" Jeremy questioned.

"He found out what his old colleagues were up to and started to form a plan of his own. From his research at the Council he had heard of the ultimate spell that could brainwash high numbers of individuals, meaning he could cast a spell and manipulate many individuals at any given time to fight for him. He was afterall the more experience Sorcerer to practice in mind control magic. Nevertheless, it seemed his ability to control their minds was far easier than he expected due to how unhappy the Gargoyles had become."

"The Stewards had enslaved them." Elena said, knowing Riley's answer before she could continue.

"The chieftain believed his people were being mistreated as they had to face discrimination and prejudice on a daily basis. They were confined to inappropriate and unsanitary accommodation and the Stewards starting going back on the promises they originally stated. Many individuals believed the freedom they once had had been taken away from themo. It was these Gargoyles that were eventually enticed by Bricius and succumbed to the darkness and agreed to fight on his side. But Bricius was clever and when the Gargoyles were caught of guard he cursed them, cursed to obey a sorcerers every command."

"His strongest magic." Nick expressed again.

"That's right. That meant it was within their nature to obey their masters despite the consequences; and to make sure the sorcerer had complete control of the Gargoyles they turn to stone during the day and are forced into hibernation if they fail their masters or are of little use to them at any given time."

"But what about present day? Is there any recorded sightings?" Clay questioned.

"The last recorded writings about Gargoyles is entwined with Arthur Pendragon's story but how they became slaves to Morgana and Faucon is not detailed."

"How did you come to know all of this?" Jeremy expressed as he looked towards Riley.

"You've left me alone for a long time. I've had the books Nick collected from the Library to study and this particular book goes into a lot of detail in regards to Ayleth and her adventures. I also had other lines of inquiry." Riley said recognizing the familiar look of knowing washing to her alpha's features. She knew that he suspected her dreams had something to do with it, but as he took in the confused expression of his pack except Nick and the anxious look on Riley's face he wasn't about to call her up on it.

"Has Bostel said anything else?" he asked, quickly changing the subject as he looked down towards the book page in front of him.

"Not yet, he's suffering with a concussion and hasn't been able to stay awake any longer than a few minutes. I'll keep monitoring him."

"Good. Riley, I would like you to continue researching these creatures with the help of Nick, Elena and Clayton. Antonio and Karl I suggest you take another look in the area that you found him to see if any other Gargoyles have invaded our territory or if there are any tracks that may lead us to a hidden hiding spot. But, I suggest you do it during day light hours because if Riley is right it means they will be Statues for the next few hours."

"Do you think we should get hold of Paige again? To see if she has any information regarding Bricius?" Elena asked as she moved her attention towards her alpha.

"There would be no harm in trying Jer." Antonio imputed.

"I think that's a good idea." Jeremy said as he nodded his head. "Can you take care of that Elena?" He finished, watching as she nodded her head before turning his attention to the rest of his pack that were starting to dissipate to complete the tasks he had given them. Riley could feel Nick's warm hand coming to rest on her waist, giving her a small proud smile before following after the other two that were heading towards the study. Riley was just about to follow them just as Jeremy managed to get hold of her attention, bowed his head in thanks before he too left the kitchen, leaving Riley alone to think about what they had just discovered.


	27. Chapter Twenty Six

The forest that was once so welcoming and so alive now filled her with dread. With the lower icy temperatures and the very idea of the thing that was hiding in the forest chilled her to the bone. The trees that once sheltered her, allowed her her freedom, relaxing her inner wolf as she took in the canopy of green now stood in front of her, foreboding and perilous. From her position on the balcony she could see the icy choking mist that swirled and sprawled in the forest floor was the first thing that spoke of a strange sort of wrongness she had hoped never to align to Stonehaven's grounds. The trunks of fallen trees at the outer rim of the wood bore icicles longer than her hand, no two of them the same as the sunlight refracted from the ice that was slowly dripping and melting.

Every twig and blade of grass had been touched by the winter as ice crystals dusted them white with a frost that was biting at her form even though she was dressed in her thick coat. No birds were cawing, no snapping of a twig as a deer pranced through the trees and no rabbits thumping their hocks. Even the river that was so audible from her bedroom balcony ran silent as she looked at the image in front of her, her mind forever cursed with the dark memories and emotions from a time she hadn't lived and a period of time she hoped she could forget.

She knew she was anxious. Her eyes unintentionally watered and the biting temperature from the winter air chilled them. She was in that tearless stage when the eyes took on a sheen of water and tension began to build behind them and in her shoulders. She needed to get over it, now really wasn't the time to loose control, not when Nick would come looking for her. There were things set out like a plan coming in her future; things she didn't know about and things she feared would change everything. But were there things she could be doing to make sure her future was not as dark and dismal as her past? She thought about her actions and words, finding them to be inadequate and pathetic. Festering guilt rendered her mind ineffective as she thought back to her family and the strained relationships left broken for far to long with her pack. However, she should give herself credit for whenever they needed her she would drop everything and come to their aid, fighting for them, helping them, smiling and listening as if they were the only thing she was living for.

Many a times had she hoped she were dreaming; her nightmares were usually so vivid, vicious and lucid that she was struggling to understand what was reality and what was her dreams, or memories, or her past life or whatever they were supposed to be. But how had her life become so unmanageable, so gloomy…. So dangerous? Even now she was struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel. The words of her mother rang through her mind when she was plagued by images of her family. Many a times her mother has said that at the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength. Hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does. Right now Riley was seriously struggling to find the hope that she so desperately clung onto when she was a teenager and her strength was waning as the continuous images of her nightmares overwhelmed her and the pain of the situation at hand was becoming unbearable. How could she follow her mother's advice at a time like this? But then again things like this don't happen by accident, this situation was obviously meant to cross her path for a reason, but as the werewolf looked at the forest in front of her she wasn't sure as to what the universe was trying to tell her, or if she was going to make it.

However, she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when she heard the clicking of shoes against the tiles. Nicky had arrived at last. Obviously his morning grooming had finally come to an end and he was ready to face the day. In her opinion Nick really didn't have to try so hard, to her he was beautiful whatever. But just friends never thought about things like that right? Riley just looked to the banister she was leaning against, her arms folded underneath her as she struggled to keep her dark emotions from her heart; Nick all the while was coming to her side.

"There you are, everyone's been looking for you." Nick expressed, concern etched into his voice as he looked at her, her long ginger trellises hiding her features a little as she continued to play with her fingertips. Nick just mirrored her position, his head angled so he could get a better look at her while Riley just ran a hand through her fringe to return his look. "We're ready to head for town. Are you alright?"

"I'm just worn out. I had a long night and I've got lots on my mind." Riley breathed before looking at her hands again.

"We all have. But hopefully with everyone calling in favors we might start getting things moving."

"Has Karl's contact come through?"

"He's talking with him now. What about your contact in England? Has Jeffery been any help?" Riley just shook her head as she readjusted her footing.

"He's been discharged so my job has finished. I have no way in getting hold of him now as protocols are in place to keep his details private. The only way we're going to be able to talk to him is if we track him down and visit him."

"We'll I'm long overdue a visit to London." Nick smiled as he leant his elbow to the banister, his torso angled so he was able to face her. "I know this is foolish, but I'm worried about you." Nick said gently, resting his hand to her forearm and relaxed somewhat when he felt Riley's hand touching his before she lent it back to the banister and looked at the forest in front of her.

"Along with everyone else." Riley uttered. "Do you feel like this whole situation is going to resolve itself? Even if we defeat whatever or whoever is responsible?"

"What do you mean?" Nick asked with a frown, moving his hand so he was able to hold hers in his.

"I just feel this sort of darkness is coming, that everything I knew about my life is about to drastically change, that I have no control over what's coming and I fear that I won't be able to protect those I love. I just can't see an end."

"With the help of our pack surely you know we protect each other."

"Didn't do Logan or Peter much use." Riley stated and regretted the words almost immediately. Nick in return was equally surprised. "I'm sorry I didn't mean that, I don't know why I said that."

"You're under a lot of pressure. We just want to help."

"I know. But years of being on your own just makes it difficult. I don't converse easily with people. You know that."

"You don't give yourself credit, you're better than you think."

"I hope, one day, that I can believe what you see." Riley finished, really looking at her companion before the pair was forced from their conversation.

"Nick! Riley! Lets get going!" Antonio screamed, causing the pair of them to smile and finally head down the stairs, Nick constantly looking over at her in hopes of trying to find the words to make her really understand how much he loved and cared about her.

0-0-0

With one look at her face Nick couldn't help but laugh as he took in the misbelief and doubt that was evidently shining on her expression. He knew what she was thinking. How could a book that had proven to be so helpful come from a place like this? To be honest she was probably right. Bear Valley's library didn't really look like much.

The blue paintwork that used to brighten the street was peeling away from the woodwork and he could see a few windows were boarded up by large wood panels to try and prevent the damp and coldness etching its way in the building. Nick smiled again when he watched Riley search for her pocket in hopes of still finding her phone there; it seems she suspected teenage rebellion for the smashed glass of the library. Nevertheless, he slammed the door behind him, his father following suit before he walked around the back of the car and to Riley's side, all three of them trying to find a break in the traffic for them to cross.

"Who would have thought Bear Valley would see so much traffic." Antonio expressed as he continued to search for an opening, seeming to press himself against his car a little in hopes of getting away from the drivers.

"That's what happens when the government finds a massacre right under their very nose. Most of these people are probably journalists, private detectives or medical personnel." Riley breathed as she too looked around Nick at the road.

"Bet the locals are loving all the added business." Nick chimed as he wrapped his hand around Riley's wrist, pulling her out of the road a little more. She was too close to the oncoming traffic for his liking. He failed to notice the small tug of a smile that washed to her lips.

"Ha!" Antonio smiled "Doubt it! People from Bear Valley dislike strangers. Look, there's an opening." He finished before taking a few bold confident steps between cars. Nick and Riley just balked at him, jogging to catch up with him as he literally walked out in front of a car, granted he would probably do more damage to the car due to his size but as Nick rested his hand to the bottom of Riley's back, the Doctor knew that he was only thinking of her.

However, Riley's opinion didn't get much better when they moved into the building. The icy cold air from outside was still biting at her figure as she moved into the room, but the smell of dusty ancient books overwhelmed her and she couldn't help but balk. Her nose was used to a lot of disgusting smells but the sheer aroma of old, dusty and decomposing books really got to her. Again, the smile that wafted to Nick's lips was not lost on her and she couldn't stop the glare from washing to her features.

Where ever her eyes fell she could see a thick layer of dust, spider webs were loosely woven across untouched isles of books while other insects frantically pulled at the silk webs of their predator high up in the corners of the room. Busted lamps hung from the cracked ceiling, their braided wires looping each of them together as certain bulbs flickered barely able to light the room. The only reason she could see at all was due to the light beams penetrating the crevices that were not blocked by the makeshift windows that were the wooden blockades.

Nevertheless, the young werewolf came to a stop when she noticed Nick striding over to the large welcome desk that was manned by an elderly lady, a few books strewn to the surface of her desk while others were piled high in a trolley.

"Hello." Nick said, a large rather charming smile on his lips as he rested his hands to the edge of the desk and leant forwards a little. Riley and Antonio shared a confused expression when they saw the surprise and then sudden affection washing into the older ladies eyes when she finally realized who she was looking at.

"Mr Sorrentino, back again are we?" She replied with a smile of her own, her wicked blue eyes gazing over her glasses, a small linked chain falling from the legs of her glasses and rested gently on her knitted cardigan.

"We got your message regarding those books we wanted to loan." He said "And I couldn't pass the opportunity to see my favorite librarian again." He finished with a wink. Riley simply rolled her eyes at Nick's flirtatious words; why did he feel the need to always woo a lady?

"Come now, enough with that talk, I'm old enough to be you're grandmother." She crooned, unaware of how little an age gap there really was, especially now that Nick was nearing forty.

"Yes, time to change the subject don't you think." Antonio stated as he cleared his throat. Only then did the librarian notice both Antonio and Riley moving into the room and Riley shuffled uncomfortably on her feet as her fierce eyes took in her figure. When she seemed to accept her, her eyes then moved to Antonio and then she was very interested.

"Right, of course. Ms. Young this is my Father Antonio Sorrentino and my friend Doctor Riley Thompson." Nick introduced, his hand held out towards Riley to invite her to stand at his side; Riley just slipped into his arm comfortably.

"Friend ay?" She said with a knowing wink, "Well one of the books you asked for has arrived, the other we may need to search for. One of my colleagues was struggling to find it."

"Why's that?" Riley asked, "Do many of your books go missing?"

"No my dear." She voiced with a smile as she moved around the table coming to stand in front of them and Riley had to lift her head to look at her; it seemed this lady was taller than her but then again, that wasn't exactly hard. "But usually when people want stories of King Arthur and his Knights they go for the more usual stories like the Sword in the Stone and also the book that Nick took out last time he was here. Most don't come back for more in depth looks at the folklore for they either don't care or don't want to. You guys happen to be the first."

"Do you think the stories of Ayleth Pendragon could be true?" Riley questioned again as all three of them started to follow the older librarian again.

"I think every story has some sort of element of truth but with myths and legends one must take them with a pinch of salt. It all happened far to long ago now for any of it to be of consequence and if Ayleth was a real person, why is she only mentioned in a few books of Arthurian literature? If she were a real person then surely we would have found some evidence of her by now." Ms Young said with a waggle of her eyebrows as she led the three of them deeper into the chasm that was the derelict library.

0-0-0

There were as many coffee shops in Bear Valley as there were McDonalds, so as Riley started trundling down the long road of Main Street she was struggling to find somewhere that she could grab a couple of coffees to go and pastries. Nick hadn't wanted her to go alone, not after knowing that this whole thing was revolving around her, but Antonio had said that he had wanted Nick with him, for he was a lot taller than the rest of them and they needed younger eyes to search for their missing books.

But now, as Riley walked down the pathway, the pointed glares given to her by the native people was really starting to make her nervous. It wasn't just their eyes that were making her uncomfortable but she couldn't stop the feeling like she was being watched. A few times she had looked over her shoulder to check that no one was following her.

She cocked her head to listen for any conversation that may have been directly about her but standing next to a busy road meant she was struggling to pinpoint any conversation; she also couldn't smell any fresh tracks of invading mutts. Her smell was limited but she could pick up old scent trails left by each individual of her pack, especially Nick's, but then his scent was very difficult to forget.

However, a soft noise caught her attention but she ignored it having no time and no intention of finding out what it was. However, about ten feet later, a large shadow encroached on the left side of her vision and suddenly her heart started hammering in her chest and the hairs of her arm stood on end. Her wolf was anxious and for good reason. Before she knew what was happening a hand grabbed the back of her coat and sent her sailing face first to the gravel. She could see large dumpsters lining the small alleyway while frozen puddles cracked under the weight of navigating humans; all the while she was trying to get a scent from the guy that had just thrown her. He was standing downwind. Damn it.

"Get up." A voice said as a huge shape passed over her, something smelt familiar. The man grabbed her collar again and heaved her to her feet, setting her down her ankle twisted underneath her. Riley ground her teeth together to work through the pain as she took a good look at her attacker again. Dark blonde hair topped a face with bulldog features. It was only then that she noticed the second guy. Had she been Elena she would have come up with some witty one liner or little quip to antagonize them, but as Riley took in the form of the guy in front of her nothing sprang to mind. But she was watching him.

And it was when he started forwards that she wheeled around and sprinted for the end of the alley, darting to the left, to the right, weaving through the intricate maze of alleyways to try and loose her attackers. Had he been a mutt she knew that he would have fought no matter the consequences. A pack werewolf, particularly one with her background knew when she needed to run…. And run fast. She wasn't a match for the likes of the guy that had just assaulted her, hell he would probably do more damage than she could. All she had to rely on was her speed, and being so small and agile meant that she was in for a slim chance of escape. If she could she would make it back to the Library, one of the packs best fighters was down there after all, and because she was involved she knew that Nick would put up a pretty good fight, but it was getting to the library that was posing some sort of problem, definitely now that she needed to try and keep herself hidden.

So she sat in the alleyway, listening to the silence of the un-inhabited passage. She had no doubt that Nicholas was sitting within the library walls with his Father, each of them nervously contemplating what may conspire in future days due to their current predicament. But as she frantically listened, how she longed to have her pack brothers at her side. She had only been gone a few minutes and she felt like the wolf within her had fallen into a deep sense of hibernation as her frantic thoughts prevented her from clearing her mind to concentrate on her dire circumstances. She had only popped out for a few minutes; as per usual she was on refreshment duty even when her pack were concerned about her safety. Normally she wouldn't mind but when two large mutts corner you it pretty much takes the fun out of eating a delightful yum-yum.

When she was with her pack, it was normal to catch echoes of a voice raised in anger, joy, frustration or laughter. During Pack meetings she had committed every pounding footstep, every barrel through a doorway, wolves sprawled across sofas and carpets, their presence so loud she could hear it in the walls when they were gone. Now she was alone.

So very alone. She was the one who was separated from her family. Back at Stonehaven or in the small town of Bear Valley her Pack still gathered together, still laughed together, still hunted together; and here she was, squinting into the sunlight as she tried to regain her bearings, taking in the heaps of rubbish, discarded injections or the fogging aroma of ammonia. The young werewolf Doctor had to constantly remind herself of her temporary situation. She should be thinking of it as a way to prove your worth, put down a couple of mutts and rejoice in the attention. The werewolf knew she needed a plan if she was to return to Nicholas and his father, and how she would fight for a return.

There would be, however difficult her life with the pack was. She had not the heart to disclose these worries to Nick, for she knew he had enough to contend with as it was. He did not need to know of her burdens. Each member of her Pack knew of how hard she had struggled to acclimatize to her new life as a pack wolf, but what made it even harder for her to be accepted was due to the circumstances that had forced her first shift. She never knew her father, having been raised by her mother and three sisters she grew into a strong independent woman who seemed to look and act very differently compared to her siblings. Now she knew why. Something was happening to her, something that involved her being a descendant of the great King Arthur Pendragon. It seemed the reincarnation of Arthur's daughter, had something to do with it too, and it was only in the last few days, as she read the ancient history book that Nick had found, that she really started to contemplate what all of these past events could mean.

Maybe that was why she found it so riveting to understand several physical disciplines when it came to protecting herself and why it came so easy to her. That could also be the reason why she pursued a career in medicine and studied hard to complete the four years at University, another four years at Medical school before completing her three-year internship at Bartholomew hospital in London to become a qualified Doctor. Trying to gain an understanding into why she was a werewolf and others were not; she knew that she probably would never know the answer.

After this threat had been dealt with, and she had destroyed the culprit, she would return and she would welcome every boom of shouts and footsteps until she retreated into the peaceful forest of Stonehaven and wonder why she did not revel in their praise. She knew the answer before even having to dwell on it. She liked the hours to herself, listening to the silence or hearing the rustling of the leaves bustling in the wind. She had grown up alone and she knew she was always destined to be alone. It seemed her wishes and her dreams had changed since she had joined her pack. It seemed she had grown to hate the silence.

She had delighted in it once, during those blessedly short years between her mother's death and her unsolicited rise to Pack status. Silence truly meant armistice; it meant her housemates had left again, leaving her the peace and quiet she wanted to allow her time to study the complicated diagrams or confusing methods of various medical practices. It seemed she took those peaceful moments for granted, because along came her Pack, along came Nick and she knew it would never be quiet again.

The Doctor could still remember the early days of her budding relationship with Nicholas. She remembered sitting on the couch in Stonehaven's impressive living room, giving him one of her first genuine smiles. She had no doubt that he was rejoicing in seeing it considering back then she had been a shy, timid but confused young woman who was still struggling to acclimatize to a group of people who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. It was these early memories she had of him that she cherished because it was these confrontations that had shaped their relationship.

The young woman turned her attention from her thoughts and towards the mouth of the alley, observing two people walking through the maze of passageways, hands clasped together, each of them reveling in their partners company. How she longed to belong to someone, or to love someone completely unconditionally in a way Elena felt for Clayton. She had hoped Nick would have been the one to reciprocate her affection, to try and force herself from her confinement, to help her discover who she really was. But, it seemed her fondness of the Lothario had only caused more problems. She had surrounded herself by the limited number of friends she held, seeking the comfort and the guidance she required to aid her through the stressful months her dead family were supposedly meant to support and comfort her. How could the man fall in love with the woman who was only a girl in his eyes, and a young girl who barely knew who she was. The gentle touches, the personal smile and the private conversations from the last few days had been amazing, but what did Nick really feel? What was it that was going on between the pair of them? And did she have the confidence to ever tell him how she really felt?

She'd been too busy worrying about what her pack were doing and what they thought about her than to try and correct their first impressions of a mysterious young girl who could barely hold her own. Deep down she knew she wasn't and Nick surely must have thought Clayton's impressions of her as incorrect. She knew how to hold her own in a fight and she knew multiple methods to prevent murdering her aggressor. Clay was never afraid of speaking his mind when it came to her lack of blood lust, not able to comprehend her reasons as to why she could be so debilitated when it came to her duty of protecting her pack. She was a Doctor, first and foremost a healer and she could never rid a person their life considering she had took an oaf to protect the sanctity of life.

But why had these mutts suddenly taken an interest in her? She couldn't register the scents of the mutts, but one seemed to be triggering something at the back of her mind. Did they follow her from England to try and ambush her on foreign territory? And why had they suddenly attacked now? Did the werewolf mutts know that the pack had redirected its full strength to the mythical creature that may or may not exist and think they were weak?

She shoved her small body back to the wall when her stalkers bolted passed her. Riley continued to look around the alleyway as she heaved her hair from her face when she recognized the object she was looking for. Lying on the ground, not ten feet from her was a handful of empty beer bottles. She scrambled to cling onto one before lifting the bottle over her head and hurled it down the back alley, recognizing the resonating smashing as Riley watched one of her stalkers turn towards the crash and cautiously headed in that direction.

Riley was careful to keep to the shadows, her eyes never leaving the man as he walked with his back to her; it was a perfect opportunity to get a good look at him. He was tall, maybe two or three inches shorter than Nick, average weight and wearing all black clothing. The werewolf frowned when she watched him slowing to a stop as if to regain his bearings, his nose lifted to the air as he tried to get a scent; but as she watched him Riley could see he had moved into a squatted position, moving his head to the left and right as if looking for something at the corners of the alley. As Riley continued to watch, her sensitive eyes could see the glittering of something with the bright jets of sunlight that was falling to the end of the alleyway. As she took a cautious look, the blood that was coursing through her veins ran cold. He had large, heavy-duty knives clipped to his back while a large firearm was positioned close to his chest as he scouted for her. 'Well done Riley, you're being stalked through Bear Valley by a Mutt who doesn't know how to fight like a wolf.' She begrudgingly thought to herself.

Sticking close to the wall, she skulked towards her stalker, disturbed by the lack of appearance from his companion. She narrowed her eyes as she observed the flickering of a nearby tree shadow and obviously so wrapped up in her tracker that she did not notice the glass bottles at her feet. As she continued deeper into the alley her foot knocked against the glass and the resounded clatter radiated around her. Riley dived behind the dustbins almost immediately in the case he noticed her; fortunately for her he turned around too slowly. His eyes were sparkling in the flickering light, his eyes frantically searching for her; it seemed she was too well hidden that he was unable to identify her hiding form within the obscurities of the alley.


End file.
